HHS declares hurricane emergency

Oct 10, 2018 - 03:02 PM
HHS-hurricane-update

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar yesterday declared a public health emergency in Florida as Hurricane Michael approaches, and waived or modified certain Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program requirements to give health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility to meet emergency health needs. Additional blanket waivers will be issued today. HHS also has positioned about 125 personnel from the National Disaster Medical System, an incident management team and medical equipment to respond quickly to community medical needs, with another 100 or so ready to assist after the storm if needed. The powerful category 4 hurricane made landfall this afternoon at Mexico Beach along the Florida panhandle and is expected to move northeast across the southeastern United States tonight and Thursday. For additional hurricane preparedness resources, visit www.phe.gov/emergency/events/2018-Severe-Storms. 

Related News Articles

Headline
Weather threats to drug production facilities examined in study
A JAMA study published Aug. 20 found that nearly 63% of all U.S. drug production facilities from 2019 through 2024 were in counties where a weather disaster…
Headline
Administration orders six-month stockpile of ingredients for domestic drug supply 
The White House Aug. 13 released an executive order directing the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness…
Headline
CMS offers resources, flexibilities to flooded Texas communities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 10 announced it will provide resources and flexibilities to health care providers and residents who…
Headline
CDC partners with Texas officials for measles outbreak response 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention March 4 announced it sent agency experts to Texas to assist local officials in responding to the state’s measles…
Headline
Texas child is first death in measles outbreak in the state
A school-aged child in Texas is the first reported individual to die from measles amid an outbreak in the South Plains and Panhandle regions of the state, the…
Headline
Nevada confirms its first human case of bird flu
The Central Nevada Health District yesterday announced the state's first case of H5N1 bird flu, a dairy farm worker who was exposed to infected cattle. The…