In response to the Texas storm emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced further flexibilities for Texas health care facilities in addition to the existing pandemic waivers.

The new actions eliminate for people dislocated or affected by the storm the requirement for a three-day prior inpatient hospitalization to cover a skilled nursing facility stay under Medicare Part A. Texas health care providers also may submit provider-specific requests for a Section 1135 waiver or flexibility to continue access to care for beneficiaries during the winter storm emergency, CMS said.

Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Norris Cochran last week declared a public health emergency in Texas due to the winter storm, and authorized CMS to waive or modify certain Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program requirements retroactive to Feb. 11 to the extent CMS deems necessary to ensure sufficient health care items and services to meet beneficiary needs. 

Related News Articles

Headline
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
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
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…
Headline
There were 91 suspected or confirmed norovirus outbreaks during the week of Dec. 5, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,…
Perspective
The arrival of the holiday season and the coming New Year remind us of the swift passage of time. But they also demonstrate the timelessness of human kindness.…
Headline
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response is seeking public feedback on its Hospital Preparedness Program funding formula. The HPP is the…