HHS waives certain requirements for Texas, La. and Calif. emergencies

Aug 27, 2020 - 02:34 PM
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Seal

The Department of Health and Human Services yesterday declared public health emergencies and waived certain Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program requirements in Louisiana and Texas due to Hurricane Laura, and in California due to wildfires.

The waivers give health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs.

HHS said it also has activated an incident management team and positioned National Disaster Medical System medical personnel and equipment to help states respond to the hurricane, and coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make 50 additional ambulances available to evacuate hospitals and nursing homes if needed.

The agency said NDMS and the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps also are prepared to provide medical care and public health support in California if needed.

Related News Articles

Headline
ASPR launches competition on improving domestic production of critical medical supplies
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response June 16 announced the launch of the Digital Stockpile and Manufacturing Response Network Challenge,…
Headline
CDC releases advisory on Ebola outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday issued an advisory on the Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.…
Headline
WHO declares public health emergency for Ebola
The World Health Organization May 17 declared a public health emergency of international concern due to an Ebola outbreak. The WHO said that as of May 16,…
Headline
Measles cases reach 583 in Utah outbreak
The Utah measles outbreak has increased to 583 cases, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services reported April 7. Of those, 386 cases have been…
Headline
Utah measles outbreak at 559 cases, CDC reports 1,671 nationwide
Cases in the Utah measles outbreak have increased to 559, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services reported March 31. The agency said 362 cases have…
Headline
AHA urges Congress to reauthorize preparedness program
The AHA Feb. 18 responded to a request for information from Reps. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., and Lori Trahan, D-Mass., on the potential reauthorization of the Pandemic…