Your coverage keeps working
A hurricane doesn't end your Medicare. Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D and Medigap all keep paying. What changes are some plan rules, for a while, in the declared disaster area.
- Original Medicare: you can use any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that accepts Medicare, wherever you evacuate.
- Medicare Advantage: under 42 CFR §422.100(m), when a disaster is declared by the President, the HHS Secretary or the Governor of Texas and access to care is disrupted, plans must cover Medicare services at non-contracted facilities, charge in-network cost sharing, and waive referral requirements, until the declaration ends.
- Part D: plans can let you fill prescriptions at out-of-network pharmacies when an in-network one isn't reasonably available, and can replace lost or damaged medicines.
Medical equipment and dialysis
If oxygen equipment, a CPAP, a wheelchair or other equipment is lost or damaged, Original Medicare usually covers repair or replacement through a Medicare-approved supplier. If you're on dialysis, your End-Stage Renal Disease Network can help you find treatment, supplies and transportation; find it at esrdnetworks.org. If you have a Medicare plan, call the number on your plan card.
Special Enrollment Period
Under 42 CFR §422.62(b)(18), people in an area with a federal, state or local emergency or major disaster declaration can get a Special Enrollment Period if the disaster kept them from making a Medicare Advantage or Part D choice they were eligible to make. It starts on the declaration or incident date and ends two full months after the incident's declared end. Call 1-800-MEDICARE for help using it.
Texas help before and after a storm
- STEAR registry. The State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry lets people with disabilities, medical needs or no transportation give local emergency planners information about their needs. Register at stear.texas.gov or by dialing 2-1-1, and renew each year. Registering doesn't guarantee a service.
- 2-1-1 Texas for shelters, evacuation help and local services.
- FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 for federal disaster assistance.
- Lost Medicare card? Print or order one in your secure Medicare.gov account, or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
Before hurricane season: keep a list of your medicines, your Medicare and plan cards, and your doctors' numbers in a waterproof bag, and ask your plan about a 60- to 90-day supply of your medicines.
Get help
If a storm forces a permanent move, a licensed insurance agent with Benefits Life can compare plans where you're living now, from the companies they work with, at no cost to you, at (512) 265-6565, TTY 711. See hurricanes, floods and Medicare.
Related questions
Does Medicare pay for an air conditioner or generator?
What Medicare covers when the power goes out.
Can I switch Medicare Advantage plans after open enrollment?
Special Enrollment Periods, including moving.
Medicare phone numbers in Texas
Official numbers to keep handy.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Emergencies and disasters
- 42 CFR §422.100(m) — Special requirements during a disaster or emergency
- 42 CFR §422.62(b)(18) — Special election period for emergencies and major disasters
- Texas Division of Emergency Management — STEAR
- FEMA — Individual assistance
Frequently asked questions
Can I see any doctor if I evacuate from the Texas coast?
With Original Medicare, yes: you can go to any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that accepts Medicare. With a Medicare Advantage plan, during a declared disaster that disrupts access to care, the plan must cover Medicare services at non-contracted facilities with the same cost sharing as in network.
How do I replace medicine lost in a flood?
Call your drug plan. Medicare.gov says your plan may help you find an in-network pharmacy where you are, replace lost or damaged drugs, and let you use an out-of-network pharmacy when you can't reasonably reach one in the network. Keep receipts if you pay full price.
What if my oxygen, CPAP or wheelchair was damaged?
With Original Medicare, Medicare.gov says repair or replacement of lost or damaged equipment is usually covered if you use a Medicare-approved supplier. If you have a plan, call it.
Is there a special enrollment period after a hurricane?
Yes, for people in the declared area who couldn't make an enrollment choice because of the disaster. It starts when the emergency is declared and lasts until two full months after the declared end of the incident.
Medicare in your Texas county
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