NCDHHS Help Medicaid Avoid Disruptions Due to Hurricane Florence

Raleigh --NCDHHS Will Seek Flexibility for People in Medicaid to Avoid Disruptions in Care Due to Hurricane Florence

September 13, 2018

Today, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced broad efforts to work with federal and county partners to provide additional flexibility to people enrolled in the Medicaid program and their health care providers during and after Hurricane Florence.

"Our highest priority is keeping people safe and healthy,” said DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D. “We are doing everything possible to help those impacted by Hurricane Florence to continue to get the care and services they need without disruption.”

“We are immediately exercising existing authority and seeking additional authority to help minimize the impact of this disaster on people in Medicaid,” said Deputy Secretary for Medicaid Dave Richard. “We want to make it easier for people to access care, easier for doctors to provide that care, and to give our beneficiaries as much support as possible.”

To help make sure that people who are eligible for Medicaid continue to be able to enroll in the program and access services quickly, DHHS will temporarily allow self-attestation for most eligibility criteria for those impacted by the hurricane if documentation is not available. DHHS will also temporarily extend redetermination timelines for current enrollees to help prevent lapses in coverage due to the hurricane.

To help ensure a sufficient number of providers are available to serve Medicaid enrollees, DHHS is seeking temporary authority to waive some provider enrollment requirements, to waiver revalidation of providers who are impacted by the disaster, and to allow physicians and other health care professionals with out-of-state licenses to enroll and provide services. DHHS will also be seeking authority to make it easier to redirect individuals to alternative care locations when needed.

NC Medicaid will also support beneficiaries if they need additional units of service, medical supplies, specialized equipment or oral supplements to remain safe during the hurricane. DHHS is working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure that providers will be reimbursed for the services that they have provided even if it exceeds the beneficiary’s current authorization. DHHS is also working with CMS to retain additional flexibility as needed to support these beneficiaries in the most impacted areas of our state.

For more information regarding Hurricane Florence, please visit https://www.ncdps.gov/florence. Those with non-emergency questions or concerns related to the hurricane should call 2-1-1 or visit https://www.nc211.org/.