Hurricane Milton Resources | Florida Health Care Association (2024)

FHCA Communications

LTC Emergency Prep Partner Briefings - Beginning Monday, Oct. 7, at 1:00 p.m. EST daily
REGISTER HEREFOR THE SERIES

Health Facility Reporting System

Health Facility Reporting System (HFRS)

AHCA has opened an event ahead ofHurricaneMilton. Facilities in the following counties are required to report by 10:00 a.m. EST daily AND when your situation changes:

Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Volusia

Report the following:Census, Available Beds, Evacuation Status, Accepting Evacuees, Generator Needs, Evacuation Zones

Panhandle Bed Availability Reporting (as of 10/7/24)

All Residential/Inpatient Health Care Providers in Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, Leon, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington counties are asked to report Census and Available Beds by 10:00 a.m. AND 4:00 p.m. EST daily

Long Term Care Unit: (850) 412-4303 / ltcstaff@ahca.myflorida.com
Assisted Living Unit: (850) 412-4304 / assistedliving@ahca.myflorida.com
AHCA Consumer Information Hotline (after hours HFRS assistance):1-888-419-3456
AHCA HFRS Website

Assistance with Reporting

Instructional guide for entering information
Speak to an AHCA staff memberduring business hours (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST)
Email:AHCAEOC@ahca.myflorida.com

State of Emergency

Executive Order 24-215
Executive Order 24-214

EO25-214 expands a state of emergency to 51Florida counties ahead of Tropical Storm Milton: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Volusia

Generator Fuel Requirement Reminder

During a state of emergency, nursing centers and assisted living facilities in the declared state of emergency counties, within 24 hours, must ensure there is sufficient fuel maintained onsite to power critical life safety equipment and ensure a safe indoor temperature for 96 hours, in accordance with the requirements of theNursing HomeandALFEmergency Power Rules.

Staff Curfew Letter

Florida Department of Health, Healthcare Worker Curfew Letter (10/6//24) authorizes health care personnel to travel outside of established curfews.

AHCA Regulatory Updates

AHCA Hurricane Milton Webpage

Billing During Emergencies
Pursuant to the Medicaid Nursing Facility Services Handbook, if you evacuated your facility without discharging the resident, the originating facility may continue to bill Medicaid for reimbursement and then pay the receiving facility at a contracted rate for its services.

AHCA Key Medicaid Information for Fee-for-Service and Managed Care Providers

AHCA will waive all prior authorization requirements for critical Medicaid services beginning September 25, 2024, until further notice.
Early prescription refill edits have been lifted for all maintenance medications (Note: This does not apply to controlled substances).
If a recipient requires critical Medicaid services beyond the limits stated in policy to maintain safety and health, providers can furnish the service.
Transportation vendors should continue providing services to all Medicaid enrollees as long as they are able.

PASSR

Under the current emergency, Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) processes are postponed until further notice by the Agency.
Retroactively performed screenings or resident reviews must document the reason for delay in the completion of PASRR requirements.
The Agency is waiving the PASRR process for recipients who evacuated due to an evacuation order or power outage and are admitted and discharged during the storm.

Overcapacity 408.821(2) Florida Statutes
Centers that are serving as receiving sites for facilities that evacuated are reminded that under 408.821(2) Florida Statutes, providers may exceed capacity for 15 days without notifying AHCA. Providerswho plan to exceed their licensed capacity in accordance with their comprehensive emergency management plan for more than 15 days must request approval from AHCA as noted in s. 408.821(2), Florida Statutes. Requests for approval must be submitted to AHCA’s applicable licensing unit to continue at overcapacity. The request should include:

The name and license number of the overcapacity facility;
If applicable, the name of the evacuating facility and reason the evacuated facility cannot be occupied;
Where the residents over licensed capacity are living in the facility (private room converted to semi-private; dining room; other locations in the building);
A description of how staffing and supplies are maintained for residents over licensed capacity; and
The total number of residents that the facility will be caring for over its licensed capacity.

Facility Re-entry
AHCA Office of Plans and Construction’s webpage
Nursing centers and ALFs that evacuate and want to re-occupy must ensure the facility is undamaged and all critical systems (e.g. electrical, medical gas, ventilation) are functional and staffing is sufficient. If power is not fully restored, even if generators are operational, facilities must receive approval from their county Emergency Management Offices (EMO) prior to re-entry. This ensures local EMOs are aware of your return should resources need to be diverted to support your center.

Facilities should also report to your county EMO all structural damage, no matter how small or large, for determining cost estimates for emergency management and funds distribution. If the nursing center is damaged, contact the AHCA Office of Plans and Construction (AHCA OPC) at 850-412-4477 to discuss damage and impact prior to re-occupancy.

Facilities with significant damage may need a survey by OPC or Field Operations to reopen, these facilities shouldprovide updates in HFRSand review theDamage Assessment Guidelines

ALFs with damage should contact their County EMO.

Indoor Air Quality Procedures

Centers that have experienced undesired water intrusion for extended periods of time can generate conditions which may erode indoor air quality and produce an environment detrimental to patients, residents and health care providers from exposure to mold. Water intrusion may also be caused by problems such as leakage through the roof, exterior walls, and windows, clogged HVAC drain pans, clogged sewage lines, or improperly functioning HVAC equipment that does not maintain proper humidity control within the building envelope. Regardless of the cause, once water has entered the center and wetted building materials, mold growth is likely to occur within 48 to 72 hours if the water is not immediately removed and building materials properly dried.
AHCA has shared basic procedures centers can review to ensure indoor air quality will not adversely affect the environment of care. Click here to review.

Emergency Patient Lookup System
E-PLUS is available to assist medical providers and emergency response personnel with locating missing or displaced persons after the storm. Staff are available to assist with questions or to provide additional information on E-PLUS via email at: E-PLUS@ahca.myflorida.com.

Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services

Hurricane Milton 1135 Waiver [covers counties in the Presidential Emergency Declaration]
CMS Current Emergencies Webpage

FloridaDepartment of Health Emergency Information

Office of Insurance Regulation Hurricane Ian Emergency Order

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has issued an Emergency Order for Hurricane Heleneregarding the extension of grace periods, limitations on cancellations and nonrenewals, deemers and limitations on "use and file" filings, along with other miscellaneous provisions. This Emergency Order is issued to protect the public health, safety and welfare of all Florida policyholders.
Hurricane Helene Emergency Order 400385-24-EO

Staffing

Florida is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact. The Compact allows a nurse to have one multistate license in the primary state of residence and practice in other Compact states, while subject to each state's practice laws and discipline. Employers can confirm a nurse's license and receive a Licensure QuickConfirm report at www.nursys.com.
Georgia Board of NursingOut of State Licensed Nurses Practicing In Healthcare/Public Health Systems in Georgia during an Emergency or Disaster
In response to the state of emergency declared by Governor Kemp, the Georgia Board of Nursing implemented Policy 1.14 on the evening of September 27, 2024. This policy permits licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs) with active, unencumbered licenses from other states to practice in recognized healthcare systems in Georgia, including public health, during emergencies or disasters. For more details, refer to Policy 1.14 here. Email questions to the GABoard of Nursing at nursing@sos.ga.gov.
State of Alabama Emergency Order
Allows for licensed healthcare facilities in Alabama to accepts displaced individuals during Hurricane Helene
Incite Workforce Solutions Powered By SnapCare
Non-profit and government-owned facilities' staffing expenses may qualify for up to 100% reimbursement through FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program.

Reimbursement

CMS Offers Accelerated and Advance Payments to Medicare Providers and Suppliers in Hurricane Disaster Zones
CMShas announced that it will support providers and suppliers impacted by Hurricane Helene within the FEMAdisaster zones, under the President’s major disaster declarations.To apply, Medicare providers and suppliers in need of this assistance should contact their assigned Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). Read more.

Utility Partners/Power Updates

Communicating with Florida’s utility providers during an emergency or during construction projects can be facilitated through online portals.