NEWS
RELEASE
Texas
Health and Human Services Commission
Charles Smith Executive Commissioner
Date: Sept. 6, 2017 Contact:
Carrie Williams, 512-424-6951
Texas Offers
Services for Victims of Hurricane Harvey
Texas
Health and Human Services is urging people to be aware of the benefits and services
available to Texans who suffered loss following Hurricane Harvey.
“I’ve
seen firsthand the devastation, and we’ve been moving quickly to line up an
array of benefits and services to help people in need,” said HHS Executive
Commissioner Charles Smith. “We’ve been working closely with our federal
partners and our folks on the ground to get food benefits rolling and do what
we can to help simplify life for people affected.”
Texas
HHS has mobilized various agency programs to help Texans. Here is a recap of
some of the benefits and services Texas HHS offers.
FEMA Grants Texas
HHS has processed more than 80,000 grant applications for federal aid for
people whose property was damaged by Hurricane Harvey. The Federal Assistance
to Individuals and Households program and the Other Needs Assistance program
can provide money to help repair private or household property damaged in a
major disaster. Texas HHS is quickly processing applications in batches in
coordination with FEMA and the Texas Comptroller’s Office.
Early Food Benefits Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program recipients in the affected counties had their
September benefits automatically loaded Sept. 1 onto their Lone Star Cards.
Normally benefits are staggered among recipients throughout the first half of
the month. With this change, Texas issued $160 million in benefits early to
more than 600,000 SNAP households in counties affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Replacement Food
Benefits SNAP
recipients in the affected counties saw a percentage of their August benefits
automatically added Sept. 2 to their Lone Star Cards to replace food that was
lost during the storm. With this change, Texas issued replacement benefits to
more than 716,000 SNAP households in the affected counties.
Disaster Food
Benefits Texas
HHS is continuing discussions with the federal government to request a
Disaster-SNAP waiver that would offer short-term food benefits to eligible families
recovering after they return home following the disaster. If approved by the
federal government, D-SNAP benefits would be available in a phased approach in the
coming weeks to eligible people who aren’t currently receiving SNAP and are
residents of one of the counties with a federal disaster declaration.
CHIP Co-Pays The
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved the state’s request to
waive Children’s Health Insurance Program co-pays and enrollment fees in
response to Hurricane Harvey. CHIP clients who live in a county included in the
federal disaster declaration will have their co-payments and enrollment fees
waived through November 2017.
Counseling and
Behavioral Health Texas
HHS has deployed behavioral health professionals to provide support for first
responders in the greater Houston area. Staff continues to assess behavioral
health operations and resource needs in shelters across the state, including
the possible need for additional behavioral health training for shelter staff.
Texas also has a plan to allow licensed medication-assisted treatment providers
(methadone clinics) in Texas to receive funds so that displaced clients can
receive necessary treatment.
Insect Repellent Texas
continues to offer an insect repellent benefit for certain populations to help
prevent Zika transmission. Widespread flooding increases the likelihood that
people could encounter the types of mosquitoes that are capable of spreading
disease. Pregnant women, women ages 10 to 55, and males 14 and older can get
one bottle of mosquito repellent a month from a participating pharmacy if they
are in the following programs:
-
Medicaid
-
Children's
Health Insurance Program
-
CHIP-Perinatal
-
Healthy
Texas Women
-
Children
with Special Health Care Needs Services Program
-
Family
Planning Program
WIC Several
WIC clinics have reopened in the Houston area. WIC families who evacuated and
lost or left behind WIC foods or formula can go to any open WIC clinic to get prorated
replacement food benefits. Families can visit TexasWIC.org or call 800-942-3678
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and select option 3 to speak with
an operator who will help find an open location. Additionally, WIC is offering
breastfeeding assistance 24 hours a day via its lactation support hotline at 855-550-6667.
WIC is the Women, Infants and Children Program administered by Texas HHS.
Flexibility for
Nursing Homes Affected
long-term care providers such as nursing and assisted living facilities have
been granted temporary exceptions to certain state and federal requirements, in
part to help them more readily accept evacuees. Facilities were allowed to
exceed their normal licensed capacity to receive evacuees, with approval from
Texas HHS. Affected facilities also did not need to comply with state
admission, transfer and discharge notification rules for residents being
evacuated. Texas HHS continues to monitor the status of facilities and assist
as needed.
Flexibility for Medicaid
Providers Texas
HHS has been working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to get
flexibility in administering Medicaid while Texas continues to recover from
Hurricane Harvey. With approval from CMS, Texas has been able to waive or
modify various federal requirements related to health care provider
participation, certification and licensing. Texas can allow providers enrolled
with another State Medicaid Agency to provide services in Texas and can enroll
providers with Texas Medicaid through an expedited process with a more limited
set of minimum requirements. The state has also been successful in obtaining
relief from specific sanctions or penalties.
2-1-1 The
Texas HHS 2-1-1 call center has fielded thousands of Harvey-related calls for
information about disaster assistance and other services. 2-1-1 has increased
its staffing and volunteer counts to handle the increase in call volumes due to
Harvey. 2-1-1 helps connect
Texans with disaster-related information and resources, including how to apply
for benefits and how to access replacement benefits for food lost as a result
of Harvey.
More Information People
with questions about HHS food benefits should dial 2-1-1 and select option 5.
For other storm-related services, including shelters, dial 2-1-1 and selection
option 5. For questions about TANF, Medicaid or CHIP, dial 2-1-1 and select
option 2.
Texas
HHS is encouraging recipients to use YourTexasBenefits.com or the Your Texas
Benefits mobile app to manage and view benefit information and to update HHS of
any address changes. Recipients also are encouraged to sign up for
electronic notices to stay informed about their cases.
To
check benefit amounts, recipients can visit YourTexasBenefits.com or call the
Lone Star Help Desk at 1-800-777-7EBT (1-800-777-7328).
Twitter:
@TexasHHSC
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