In addition to the federal emergency declaration approved for both Louisiana and Mississippi ahead of Hurricane Ida’s Sunday landfall, a public health emergency has now been declared for both states.
The declaration was announced by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. The declarations, along with waivers Secretary Becerra authorized under the Social Security Act, give the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) beneficiaries and their healthcare providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs in disasters.
“Hurricane Ida made landfall as an extremely dangerous storm and is carving a path of destruction that poses a significant threat to health and safety,” Secretary Becerra said. “These declarations and waivers help ensure that some of the most vulnerable residents of Louisiana and Mississippi – beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid –have continuous access to the care they need in the aftermath this storm. We stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support to help impacted communities respond and recover.”
According to HHS, these actions and flexibilities are retroactive to August 26, 2021, for the state of Louisiana and retroactive to August 28, 2021, for the state of Mississippi.
For more information from HHS, click here.
