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Hurricane Ian Is Heading Towards the East Coast - Make Sure You Are Prepared!

Published in Government Relations on September 27, 2022

As Hurricane Ian heads to the Gulf Coast, the state associations involved in the DME Emergency Response Group would like to remind everyone of the resources available before, during, and after a disaster.

Many HME state association leaders have come together to organize resources that can be helpful during a natural disaster.

Click here to view all disaster resources put together by the group.

CGS has also shared information and resources, including FAQs, a resource guide, and waivers, which are located on the JC Disaster Resources page.

Natural Disaters | GoToStage.com recorded a webinar to assist with supplier education.\

Suggestions:

Communication is key during a disaster. Stay in contact with your patients. Make sure you have their phone numbers, and they have your contact info. If a disaster is heading your way, you may want to contact your customers, especially those that rely on oxygen, ventilators, CPAPS or anything powered by electricity.
Reach out to your state emergency departments and your Governor’s office. If state or federal funding is needed, you will want to be in touch and be first in line to receive any funding or other assistance. A simple Google search will provide you with their website: “(state) emergency management office.” Once you find the website, find the “Contact Us” button. Here is a script you can use to send a message to that office.
Stay in contact with your DME MACs office. Keep them updated on your needs. The DME Emergency Preparedness Committee has had discussions with these groups, and they are willing to help in the event of an emergency, particularly with reimbursement guidance. You can find the contact to all the DME MACs offices here: DME MAC Contacts
Need assistance from FEMA? Here is a link to all the regional FEMA contacts.

Your friends at VGM are thinking of you during this time. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for any additional assistance.

Reminder: Natural Disaster Cost Survey Deadline is Sept. 30

The DME Community Emergency Community Response Group is seeking assistance in compiling data that can be sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to showcase the expenses incurred before, during, and after a natural disaster. Our end goal is to better assess the true costs DME suppliers incur in responding to natural disasters and to develop recommendations for CMS on reimbursement opportunities to account for these expenses.

TAKE THE SURVEY

We need to hear from you! Your participation in the survey is important as we need a robust response from the DME community to gather intel to make improvements to reimbursement during disasters. The deadline to take the survey is Sept. 30, 2022. Thank you for your time!

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