Emergency Assistance in Hurricane Areas
HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt has declared that a public health emergency exists in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama as a result of Hurricane Gustav. The declaration triggers waivers of certain Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP rules in the affected states. In a related development, on September 3, 2008 HHS announced implementation of the “Disaster Case Management” demonstration program providing case managers to help Hurricane Gustov victims obtain a wide range services, ranging from emergency food and shelter to health care services.
