Hey Medicare Nation! www.TheMedicareNation.com How Do I get treatment & prescriptions during a weather emergency? Hurricane Dorian is moving up the East Coast of the U.S., and MILLIONS of people have evacuated the coastlines, to seek safety. What happens if you get sick or you need to fill prescriptions while you’re away from home during a weather emergency? Or…. What happens if you need to move into a Skilled Nursing Facility, but you haven’t fulfilled the “3 Day Prior Hospitalizaton” Rule….due to the weather emergency? Let’s take a look at these questions for you. After President Trump Declared Emergencies in Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia & South Carolina….. Health & Human Services Secretary ….. Alex Azar….Declared Public Health Emergencies in those States.  Secretary Azar also declared a “Blanket Waiver” for Hurricane Dorian. What that means…… is some restrictions under Medicare are more “Flexible” during the Declaration. For example……. You evacuated your home in Savannah Georgia, to go stay with your relatives in Michigan. Prior to evacuating your home, you were receiving home health care for physical therapy…due to a sprained ankle. If you are on Original Medicare, you can contact “Any” home health agency that accepts Medicare to re-start your physical therapy at your relative’s home. They should be able to contact Medicare to get copies of the orders you had for the Physical Therapy. If you’re on a Medicare Advantage Plan, you will need to contact your Plan carrier…… advise them you evacuated from a Public Health Emergency area and that you need to “Resume” physical therapy at home ASAP. The plan should contact a home health care vendor in the area you’re temporarily staying in, to resume your physical therapy. If you have a Medicare Specialist, call them! You WILL need their help in expediting the process. Remember…… MILLIONS of people have evacuated coastal areas! Don’t Delay!!! If you need to use your Medicare benefits…. CALL as soon as possible. For Prescription Medications……let’s say in the stress of having to “evacuate,” you forgot all your prescriptions at home. under a Medicare Advantage Plan, call your carrier & tell them what happened. You should be able to get a “Refill” under the “Emergency Waiver,”  for most prescriptions. If you need an Extension for 60 – 90 days for your prescription, due to being out of the area, call your plan and ask them if they “offer” extended day prescriptions. If you’re on an “opioid” prescription……… call your plan & advise them of your situation. Hopefully, you can get a refill…. for at least a day…. or two…… under the waiver, until you can be seen by a doctor in the area you’re temporarily staying at. Your carrier will tell you which Pharmacy is “IN” network…. Where you’re staying.  If there is NO pharmacy “In” Network where you’re staying, ask the carrier if they will “reimburse” you for the cost of the prescriptions. You will need a receipt with the Pharmacy name,  prescription name, and the price you paid for the prescription on the receipt to submit to your Medicare Advantage Carrier for reimbursement. If you had Durable Medical Equipment …… Orthotics, Prosthetics,  or Oxygen Supplies for example….. that was lost, destroyed, “irreparably damaged” ….. or otherwise rendered unusable…… you should be able to replace it from a vendor in the area you’re staying….. with the “flexibility” to WAIVE the replacement requirements that are normally in place. If you are on a Medicare Advantage Plan, contact your carrier for assistance in getting a replacement…. And advise them the “Blanket Waiver” is in place. They will assist you in finding a local vendor to “Replace” your equipment.    For those of you needing to stay at a “Skilled Nursing Facility,”Under “Normal” Circumstances…… if you or a loved one needed to enter a “Skilled Nursing Facility,” you would be required to have a “ 3 Day Prior Hospitalization” … prior to entering the Skilled Nursing Facility. Under the “Blanket Waiver,” th