News Release

HHS Secretary Extends Public Health Emergency for States Affected by Hurricane Katrina

To ensure vital services are available to meet the needs of those affected by Hurricane Katrina, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt extended the public health state of emergency through Jan. 31, 2006. The extension allows for the continuation of waivers and modifications of certain Medicare, Medicaid and State Children�s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) requirements. It also allows HHS to make grants and enter into contracts more expeditiously.

�We recognize that people affected by Katrina have a long road ahead of them,� Secretary Leavitt said. �This extension helps us continue to support them as they rebuild their lives and communities.�

The Secretary�s order applies to the states affected by Katrina -- Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida -- as well as those states harboring many evacuees: Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

HHS began offering services to the region hit by Hurricane Katrina immediately, beginning with the deployment of health professionals, the coordination of medical volunteers from throughout the country and the shipment of medical supplies. Through the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, HHS identified experts in chemical and toxicology, sanitation and public health, epidemiology and food safety to assist state and local officials. HHS established ten Federal Medical Shelters throughout the Gulf region to provide basic health care services for Hurricane Katrina victims.

Other services provided by HHS included free vaccines through the federally-run Vaccines for Children program to all federally vaccine-eligible children from birth to 18 years of age who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina; ensured continuous medical care by providing coverage through Medicaid or SCHIP to evacuees; and provided $15 million in emergency funding to help Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide services to displaced children and families.