CMS NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2018
CMS Takes Steps to help with
Hurricane Michael Emergency Response
Agency waivers to take effect in
Florida
The Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced steps taken by the agency to support
Florida in response to Hurricane Michael. Yesterday, Health and Human
Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency (PHE) in
Florida. With the PHE in effect, CMS has taken several actions to provide
immediate relief to those impacted by the hurricane. The actions will 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.
“Reports have said that Hurricane
Michael is an extremely dangerous storm and we urge those in the path to take
steps to be safe,” Administrator Seema Verma said. “CMS has taken the
measures necessary to help support everyone that could be impacted. The waivers
that will be in effect in Florida will give healthcare providers, facilities,
and suppliers the flexibility to provide continued access to care throughout
this storm. We will continue to monitor the hurricane and work closely with
officials in Florida.”
Below are key administrative
actions CMS is taking in response to the PHE declared in Florida:
- Waivers for Hospitals,
Healthcare Facilities, and Clinicians: CMS
will be temporarily waiving or modifying certain Medicare, Medicaid, and
CHIP requirements. CMS will be issuing a number of waivers as necessary,
which will be listed on the website below, and the CMS Regional Offices
will be granting other provider-specific requests for specific types of hospitals and
other facilities in Florida. These waivers work to provide continued
access to care for beneficiaries. For more information on the waivers
CMS will grant, visit: www.cms.gov/emergency.
- Special
Enrollment Opportunities for Individuals Impacted by the
Hurricane: CMS has made special enrollment periods available for
certain individuals seeking health plans offered through the Federal
Health Insurance Exchange and all Medicare beneficiaries. This gives
people impacted by the hurricane the opportunity to gain access to
health coverage on the Exchange or change their Medicare health and
prescription drug plans immediately if eligible for the special enrollment
period. For more information on these special enrollment periods,
visit:
- https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Regulations-and-Guidance/Downloads/8-9-natural-disaster-SEP.pdf
- https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/Emergency/EPRO/Past-Emergencies/Hurricanes-and-tropical-storms.html.
- 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 and is working with Quality Insights
Renal Network 7, ESRD NW 7, 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 toll-free
hotlines for each NW are: NW 7 – 1-800-826-3773, NW 8 –
1-877-936-9260, and NW 6 – 1-800-524-7139; and the KCER hotline is
866-901-3773. Additional information is available on the NW’s websites
at https://www.hsag.com/en/esrd-networks/esrd-network-7/, http://esrdnetwork8.org/emergency-preparedness/patients, and https://network6.esrd.ipro.org/home/provider/patient-services/emergency-updates/
or the KCER website www.kcercoalition.com.
- Medical
equipment and supplies replacements: CMS
will temporarily suspend certain requirements necessary for Medicare
beneficiaries who have lost or sustained 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 the
affected areas of Florida, 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 PHE, 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 Michael. We encourage
beneficiaries and providers of healthcare services that have been impacted to
seek help by visiting CMS’ emergency webpage (www.cms.gov/emergency).
To read previous updates
regarding HHS activities related to hurricane response and recovery, visit www.phe.gov/emergency.
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