The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) signed a federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) on August 7, 2026, for areas impacted by the Eastern Washington wildfires. The declaration, issued under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, enables the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement temporary waivers and flexibilities to support beneficiaries, providers, and suppliers affected by the disaster.

CMS has made these waivers and flexibilities available retroactively to August 1, 2026, helping ensure continued access to healthcare services throughout the emergency. During the PHE, CMS authorized waivers under Section 1812(f) of the Social Security Act for providers, suppliers and Medicare beneficiaries who were evacuated, transferred, displaced, or otherwise impacted by the wildfires.

In addition, Section 1135 waiver authority allows CMS to temporarily waive or modify certain Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) requirements to ensure healthcare services remain accessible in affected communities. These waivers and modifications are currently in effect for areas identified in the federal disaster declaration.

CMS has also provided relief for beneficiaries who have lost Medicare-covered durable medical equipment (DME) or supplies due to the wildfires. When covered equipment is lost, destroyed, irreparably damaged, or rendered unusable as a result of the disaster, suppliers may replace the equipment without obtaining a new face-to-face examination, physician order, or additional medical necessity documentation. Suppliers must retain documentation demonstrating that the item was impacted by the disaster.

Modifier CR needs to be appended when submitting claims utilizing applicable disaster-related waivers.

For more information on emergency declarations and available Medicare flexibilities, visit the CMS Current Emergencies webpage.