Dear Neighbor,

Yesterday, I called on Governor Kate Brown to request the President make an Emergency Declaration under the Robert T Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act to protect hospice agencies and workers across the state. While this is not an action that the state is able to take on its own, I am hopeful that a request from Gov. Brown will help ensure action is taken soon.  

As a family nurse practitioner providing primary care, palliative care, and hospice care to our vulnerable community members I know how quickly we must plan so we have the resources needed to protect the health of our workforce and the lives of the most vulnerable among us. 

When providing care to hospice patients we follow strict Medicare guidelines that support a shared goal of providing excellent care. A Stafford Act declaration will allow HHS to enact Section 1135 waivers that remove key barriers to care. This will improve the health system’s ability to adapt by temporarily adjusting various federal rules, including elements of the Medicare and Medicaid programs and barriers to telehealth, which will play a key role in containing the spread of coronavirus. 

A request for an Emergency Declaration under the Robert T Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act will add flexibility to our systems and allow health care providers to continue caring for patients in their location of care, including private homes and facilities, reducing risk of exposure to them, their caregivers and the public while promoting safety and health for all.

Dear Governor Brown:

The Oregon Hospice & Palliative Care Association (OHPCA) and I request that you ask President Trump to declare an emergency under The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act. Hospice agencies around the state are being impacted by the coronavirus outbreak and it is beginning to impact the plan of care for their patients, which could put hospice providers out of compliance with Medicare if they are unable to visit patients in a timely manner. The emergency declaration will address this issue with Medicare. 

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Association representing 4,000 hospices nationally has recently sent a letter to the President and Vice President that I have attached to this message. For more information I have included a number of links regarding Waiver requirements:

CMS Blanket Waiver website: https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/Emergency/EPRO/Resources/Waivers-and-flexibilities

 How is a disaster or emergency declared?

The President may, under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act, declare a major disaster or emergency if:

• Asked by the Governor of an affected state.

• The event is beyond the combined response capabilities of the state and affected local governments. 

Here is another link to the OHPCA release regarding their request to the White House requesting a blanket 1135 waiver; it explains this issue really well: https://www.nhpco.org/nhpco-sends-letter-to-white-house-requesting-1135-disaster-waiver

I know this is a very busy time for the Governor’s Office and would be happy to speak to you directly regarding the request above. 

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Representative Prusak