The Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency for Louisiana after massive rains from Hurricane Harvey hit the state.
The declaration comes several days after a similar one was made for Texas. The declaration can help cut red tape for Medicare and Medicaid providers in the states and it frees up funding for disaster response.
“As Louisiana and Texas contend with the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey, HHS is committed to doing all that we can to ensure that those affected by this storm receive the vital assistance and support they need,” HHS Secretary Tom Price said Monday.
The agency said that in addition to added flexibility for providing assistance to beneficiaries, HHS is deploying about 550 personnel to affected areas.
Harvey has brought record-setting floods to Texas and the Houston area and now is stoking fears of flooding in southwest Louisiana.
President Trump on Monday approved an emergency declaration from Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.
