Emergency Response and Recovery

CMS plays an important role in ensuring continuity and quality of health care services for beneficiaries affected by various natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms); manmade incidents (bioterrorism, radiation or chemical emergencies and mass casualty events); or other public health emergencies (pandemic influenza or biological hazards). CMS accomplishes these actions through planning and coordination with HHS and other federal agencies, stakeholders, beneficiaries and health care providers.

This section of the web site provides information and documents related to recent natural disasters, manmade incidents, and public health emergencies. Documents related to previous incidents are located in the left hand column under the Emergency Events Archive.

Recent Emergencies and Disasters

2016 Zika Virus Outbreak:

A member of the virus family Flaviviridae, Zika virus (ZIKV) is spread by daytime-active Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Zika virus is related to the Dengue, Yellow Fever, Encephalitis, and West Nile viruses. Since the 1950s, it has been known to occur within a narrow equatorial belt from Africa to Asia. From 2007 to 2016, the virus spread eastward, across the Pacific Ocean to the Americas, leading to the 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic. The links below provide information on the Health and Human Services (HHS) Public Health Emergency Declaration and its subsequent renewal.  Additional information on the ZIKV is found in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) link, found in the Related Link section.  

Zika Related Links:

November 4, 2016: Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists

August 12, 2016:  Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists in Puerto Rico as a Consequence of the Zika Virus Outbreak

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers