Federal health officials have asked Colorado and other states harboring Hurricane Katrina survivors to enroll evacuees for Medicaid health benefits, without requiring documentation.
Tens of thousands have fled the Gulf Coast. Many have lost everything and have no way to pay for medical care, including mental health counseling. The 405 Katrina evacuees housed at Denver’s former Lowry Air Force Base have immediate access to free medical care. Government health care will help as those displaced by the storm begin to rebuild their lives, public health officials said.
For the next four months, any evacuees who were covered by Medicaid or the Child Health Plan in their home state can receive benefits from the state where they’ve sought refuge. Those who lost jobs and homes in the storm will be presumed eligible and can enroll if they choose, federal officials said Friday.
“If you show up and say, ‘I used to have too much income for Medicaid, but now I’ve lost my house,”‘ you’ll get covered, said Mary Kahn, spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Washington, D.C.
States will have to sort out who remains eligible after the four-month grace period. It is not clear how that will be accomplished, or how states might be compensated for Katrina evacuees who relocate permanently.
Colorado health and welfare officials expressed some concern that state funds might have to be used to cover the cost of providing health benefits. But, for now, the goal is to ease the devastation experienced by Katrina survivors, said Rhonda Bentz, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.
“There is a very strong element of human compassion here,” Bentz said. “We’ll work through the details as we go.”
The Bush administration is working with Congress to get funding to repay Colorado and other states for the medical care they provide to Katrina evacuees, Kahn said.
So far, there are no good estimates of how many hurricane victims may sign up or how much it will cost, she said.
“We don’t have any idea how many people may be qualified,” Kahn said.
Staff writer Marsha Austin can be reached at 303-820-1242 or maustin@denverpost.com.
