The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is offering accelerated and advance Medicare payments for providers affected by Hurricane Helene. Those in disaster zones may request the payments individually with their unique National Provider Identifier to improve cash flow issues resulting from impaired operations that might be preventing providers from submitting claims and receiving Medicare payments. CMS notes Medicare providers that need assistance should contact their assigned Medicare Administrative Contractor. It’s unclear whether additional measures will be taken related to Hurricane Milton and its impact on Florida this week.
In the meantime: In addition to reimbursement challenges, providers are also experiencing delays in supply chains as a result of Hurricane Helene. Most notably, a Baxter International manufacturing plant in North Carolina has suspended operations because of flooding in its facility and severe damage to local roadways. The site is the United States’ largest producer of intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions, producing 1.5 million bags of IV solutions annually. According to the American Hospital Association, hospitals are already reporting substantial shortages of IV fluids, and they have asked the White House to declare a shortage and a public health emergency. Separately, the End Drug Shortages Alliance has a downloadable list of recommendations for providers that count on Baxter for IV fluids.
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