Resources Related to Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts

US Department of Health and Human Services
A flyer has been created with phone numbers for a number of resources for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. If you are working with evacuees, please print this and post in your office. It prints well in black and white or color on a regular 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper. http://www.tafp.org/news/2005/resourceflyertx.pdf

Medicaid, Medicare and CHIP information
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a series of emergency policy changes to accommodate the needs of displaced Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries who have fled Hurricane Katrina and need urgent medical attention in their new host states. Texas Medical Association has compiled information about the programs including contact numbers: http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=4314

On September 15, 2005, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved a waiver to ensure that Katrina evacuees in Texas continue to have access to medical services. For the key provisions of the waiver, go to: http://www.tafp.org/news/2005/katrinawaiver.pdf. Click on the following link for eligibility information and the data that you should collect if you see a patient before they enroll in the program. http://www.tafp.org/news/2005/katrinacmsinfo.pdf

For Waiver and Claims Processing Information for Health Care Providers, go to: http://www.tafp.org/news/2005/tmhpkatrinainst.pdf

Medicaid Benefits for Evacuees
Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi Medicaid clients can get information by calling 1-800-252-8263. For a flyer, click here for English and here for Spanish.

CMS KATRINA RESOURCE PAGE
Frequently asked questions, information on billing and reimbursement for all Medicare and Medicaid populations and more can be found on this site. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/katrina/

Private Payers Reimbursement policies for Hurricane Victims
A resource list with information from a number of insurance companies on how they will assist displaced customers affected by the hurricane is available on the America’s Health Insurance Plans Web site: http://www.ahip.org/HurricaneResponse/

Providing medical care in Louisiana
During this period of disaster relief, physicians and other trained health care providers from other states may render assistance to patients in Louisiana without being licensed in Louisiana. Read the policy statement from the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners for cases of Bioterrorism or other National Disasters on the TMA Web site: http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=4295.

Refilling prescriptions in an emergency
Information on regulations for dispensing refills during an emergency and the special allowances made for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. http://www.tafp.org/news/2005/91405tpa.htm

Temporary Licensure for Visiting Physicians
Information from the Texas Medical Board: http://www.tsbme.state.tx.us/katrina_emergency.htm

Information from the Texas Medical Association: http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=4309

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE COMPACT (EMAC)
Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana are all a part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a legal agreement that facilitates cooperation among the states during emergencies and disasters. Two articles of the agreement dealing with licensure and liability are particularly relevant in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. http://www.tafp.org/news/2005/91405emac.htm

Summary of Statutory Provisions Affecting the Liability of Providers in a Public Health Emergency
The Office of General Counsel for the Texas Department of Health prepared a summary of statutory provisions that deal with the liability of health care providers during emergencies in September of 2003. PDF fileWord document

Free Placement and Recruitment Services
In response to the devastation and displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina, HEALTHeCAREERS Network, in cooperation with FPJobsOnline has created a Web site dedicated to this and other volunteer, disaster and emergency relief efforts. List a temporary position for free until October 31 or search for positions. http://www.healthecareers.com/katrina/