CMS NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2018
CMS Continues Efforts to help
with Hurricane Florence Emergency Response
Agency waivers take
effect in Virginia
The Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced efforts underway to support Virginia
in response to Hurricane Florence. This week, Health and Human Services
Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency in Virginia. With the
public health emergency in effect, CMS has taken several actions to provide
immediate relief to all those affected by the hurricane along the east coast.
The actions include temporarily waiving or modifying certain Medicare,
Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) requirements;
creating special enrollment opportunities for individuals to access
healthcare immediately; and taking steps to ensure dialysis patients obtain
critical life-saving services.
“We are concerned for the
residents of Virginia and, as Hurricane Florence continues to batter the east
coast, we are making sure that CMS has policies in place to help support all
that are impacted,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said. “The waivers that are
now in effect in Virginia will give healthcare providers, facilities, and
suppliers the flexibility to provide continued access to care during this
storm. We will continue to monitor the effects of the hurricane and work
closely with officials in Virginia.”
Below are key administrative
actions CMS has taken in response to the PHE declared in Virginia:
- Waivers for Hospitals and
other Healthcare Facilities: CMS has temporarily waived or
modified certain Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP requirements. CMS issued a
number of blanket waivers, listed on the website below, and the CMS
Regional Offices have granted other provider-specific requests for specific types of hospitals and
other facilities in Virginia. These waivers work to provide continued access
to care for beneficiaries. For more information on the waivers CMS
granted, visit: www.cms.gov/emergency.
- Special
Enrollment Opportunities for Hurricane Victims: CMS
has made available special enrollment periods for all Medicare
beneficiaries and certain individuals seeking health plans offered
through the Federal Health Insurance Exchange. This gives people
impacted by the hurricane the opportunity to change their Medicare
health and prescription drug plans and gain access to health coverage on
the Exchange immediately if eligible for the special enrollment
period. For more information on these special enrollment periods,
visit:
- Disaster
Preparedness Toolkit for State Medicaid Agencies: CMS
developed an inventory of Medicaid and CHIP flexibilities and
authorities available to states in the event of a disaster. For more
information and to access the toolkit, visit: https://www.medicaid.gov/state-resource-center/disaster-response-toolkit/index.html.
- Dialysis
Care: CMS is helping patients obtain access to
critical life-saving services. The Kidney Community Emergency Response
(KCER) program has been activated ahead of the storm and is working with
Quality Insights Renal Network 5, ESRD NW 5, to assess the status of
dialysis facilities in the potentially impacted areas related to
generators, alternate water supplies, education and materials for
patients, and more. They are also assisting patients who have evacuated
ahead of the storm to receive dialysis services in the location to which
they are evacuating. Patients have been educated to have an emergency
supply kit on hand including important personal, medical, and insurance
information; contact information for their facility, the ESRD NW hotline
number, and contact information of those with whom they may stay or for
out-of-state contacts in a water proof bag. They have also been
instructed to have on hand supplies to follow a three-day emergency
diet. The ESRD NW toll-free hotline is 866-651-6272 and the KCER hotline
is 866-901-3773. Additional information is available on the NW’s website
at www.esrdnet5.org/Dialysis-Providers/Emergency-Preparedness.aspx or the KCER website www.kcercoalition.com.
- Medical
equipment and supplies replacements: CMS
temporarily suspended certain requirements necessary for Medicare
beneficiaries who have lost or realized damage to their durable medical
equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies as a result of the
hurricane. This will help to make sure that beneficiaries can continue
to access the needed medical equipment and supplies they rely on each
day. Medicare beneficiaries
can contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for assistance.
- Suspension
of Enforcement Activities: CMS will suspend current
survey and enforcement activities for healthcare facilities in Virginia,
but will continue to investigate allegations of immediate threat to patient
health and safety.
- Ensuring
Access to Care in Medicare Advantage and Part D.
During a public health emergency, Medicare Advantage Organizations and
Part D Plan sponsors must take steps to maintain access to covered benefits
for beneficiaries in affected areas. These steps include allowing Part
A/B and supplemental Part C plan benefits to be furnished at specified
non-contracted facilities and waiving, in full, requirements for
gatekeeper referrals where
applicable.
CMS will continue to work with
all geographic areas impacted by Hurricane Florence. We encourage
beneficiaries and providers of healthcare services that have been impacted to
seek help by visiting CMS’ emergency webpage (www.cms.gov/emergency).
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