CMS announces hurricane waivers for Georgia

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday took several actions to provide relief to those in Georgia impacted by Hurricane Michael. The agency has temporarily waived or modified certain Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program requirements; created special enrollment opportunities for individuals to access health care immediately; and took steps to ensure dialysis patients obtain critical life-saving services. For more information on the waivers CMS will grant, visit www.cms.gov/emergency. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar yesterday declared a public health emergency in Georgia allowing CMS to take these actions. The category 4 hurricane made landfall Oct. 10 in the Florida panhandle. The storm swept through portions of Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia before moving into the Atlantic. The semertorm forced four hospitals and 11 nursing facilities in Florida to close, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said yesterday. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal yesterday said 35 hospitals or nursing homes in that state were without electricity and operating with generators. For additional hurricane preparedness resources, visit https://asprtracie.hhs.gov/hurricane-resources and https://www.phe.gov/emergency/events/2018-Severe-Storms.