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State offering medical care, assistance on federal assurance Friday, Sep 9, 2005 By Doug Thompson Arkansas News Bureau FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas state government is providing access to Medicaid, food stamps and other programs to Hurricane Katrina survivors and accepting federal government assurances of reimbursement on good faith, the state Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Thursday. "The federal government has given us repeated assurances that we will be reimbursed for this, and has appropriated money for disaster relief," said department spokeswoman Julie Munsell. "It's not as if they told us, 'Good luck.' They said, 'Don't worry. We will pay for this.' "The governor's clear instruction to this agency was that we are going to provide the services to people who need them," Munsell said. "We are not going to turn our back on people in need." As early as Sept. 2, Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Little Rock said the entire Arkansas delegation would be on the lookout to make sure that the state was not left holding the bill for needed services that should have been anticipated sooner by the federal government. Munsell said Thursday that the specifics of when and how Arkansas will be reimbursed have yet to be worked out, but the details are expected soon. Whatever happens, health care organizations and other private vendors who provide Medicaid services will be paid, she said. "I don't see any way the vendors are going to be left paying for this," she said. No estimate on how much in benefits will go to the estimated 20,000-minimum evacuees in Arkansas is available yet, Munsell said. However, federal agencies have notably picked up the pace of approving out-of-state resident claims on Medicaid and have been more willing to grant waivers to speed up service, she said. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, is the federal agency that administers Medicaid, a health care cost reimbursement program for the poor. The agency announced Thursday that it was waiving many of the program's record-keeping requirements since many nursing homes and other treatment centers moved their patients and left the normally voluminous records behind. "Health care providers that furnish medical services in good faith but who cannot comply with normal program requirements because of Hurricane Katrina will be paid for services provided and will be exempt from sanctions for noncompliance, unless it is discovered that fraud or abuse occurred," CMS announced. The agency also announced that crisis services offered to victims will be paid even if the health care facility providing that service is not certified for Medicaid programs. Other restrictions including restrictions on use of beds are waived. For instance, "if a psychiatric unit bed is used for an acute care patient admitted during the crisis." On another evacuation-related issue, Munsell said that the department has not yet been informed of the details of $2,000-value debit cards that will go out to evacuation victims, but expects to hear shortly. In another development Thursday, Gov. Mike Huckabee announced the Arkansas KARE Force, a fleet of private aircraft available to reunite families and take care of other special needs of the evacuees. The Operation KARE Force, part of the state's Katrina Assistance Relief Effort is being coordinated by John Knight, the director of the state Department of Aeronautics. "We have many people in our state who own airplanes and want to do their part," the governor said. "This gives them an outlet. The Aeronautics Department will keep an inventory of planes that are available for use, collect mission requests and then try to match each mission with a plane and pilots." Those wanting to donate the use of private aircraft should call (501) 376-6781. The Operation KARE toll-free telephone number is 1-877-2-WE-KARE (1-877-293-5273) for those needing or offering assistance. Those needing or offering assistance also are encouraged to go to the KARE Web site at www.kare.arkansas.gov. Meanwhile, a special fund has been set up for those wishing to give money specifically to help evacuees in Arkansas. Those wishing to give should mail checks to Operation KARE, Governor's Office, State Capitol, Little Rock, AR 72201. The fund will be administered by the state Department of Finance and Administration. The Arkansas Department of Economic Development is assisting business owners displaced by the hurricane in relocating their businesses to Arkansas, either on a temporary basis or permanently. Those interested in relocation sites may call Steve Jones, the department's building and sites manager, at (501) 682-7311. |
