Disaster Relief Medicaid Act

This legislation makes it faster and easier for people and families hit by a disaster or emergency to get Medicaid. States must cover eligible survivors for a two‑year period that starts the day the disaster is declared, with a short application, no paperwork required to prove you were affected, and quick, on‑the‑spot approval that lasts through the period . If you evacuate to another state, that state must honor what your home state covers and pay providers fairly; coverage can also be backdated to the start of the disaster, and babies born to covered survivors are included . States may offer more mental health care, crisis services, and help at home, with rules eased so people can get services without the usual caps; states will issue a disaster Medicaid card to each approved survivor .

To pay for this, the federal government covers 100% of the cost of care for survivors and related administrative work during the relief period. In the hardest‑hit areas, it also pays 100% of all Medicaid and children’s health program costs for residents during that time, and territories can receive this extra funding without hitting their usual caps; states in these areas can pause eligibility re‑checks while people recover . People with Medicare also get relief: months during the disaster period won’t count against you for a Part B late‑enrollment penalty. The bill lets officials treat places hosting many evacuees as emergency areas so rules can be waived to keep care going, and it requires guidance by 2027 to speed provider approvals and use out‑of‑state providers; small grants help states build emergency response teams to deliver home‑ and community‑based services after disasters .

• Who is affected: People and families affected by disasters or emergencies; residents of the hardest‑hit areas; evacuees who get care in another state; newborns of covered survivors; and people who need services at home, including older adults and people with disabilities .
• What changes: Two years of Medicaid coverage with easy sign‑up and a disaster Medicaid card; retroactive coverage from day one; out‑of‑state coverage; stronger mental health and in‑home supports; the federal government pays the full cost for survivors; pause on eligibility re‑checks in direct‑impact areas; Medicare Part B penalty relief; provider‑approval guidance and small state grants for emergency response teams .
• When: Core Medicaid help for survivors starts January 1, 2027; the two‑year clock starts the day a disaster is declared; guidance is due by January 1, 2027; grants are funded 2027–2032 .