HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today began a two-day visit with evacuees in
shelters in Georgia, Arkansas, Texas and Tennessee to explain the wide array
of benefits that are being made easily available to those who have been
displaced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Many victims of the hurricane no longer have the records or legal documents
to help prove their eligibility for benefits from various government
programs. The President has granted special "evacuee" status to individuals
affected by Katrina, which will simplify the enrollment process for people
who need the services of programs like Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families and Head Start.
"For those persons with evacuee status, we are stripping away many of the
eligibility and enrollment requirements normally needed to apply for federal
benefits," Secretary Leavitt said. "No one who has been a victim of this
disaster should be prevented from getting benefits they need because of
government red tape."
As part of this streamlining process, states will be given the flexibility
to enroll evacuees without requiring documents such as tax returns or proof
of residency. Evacuees who have lost all identification and records should
be able to give their address or other simple form of attestation to be
eligible.
The special evacuee status will apply to the full range of federal benefits
administered by the states, including HHS programs that provide services
through Medicaid, family assistance through Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families (TANF), child care support, foster care assistance, mental health
services and substance abuse treatment services.
State enrollment teams are already set up in many shelters, and many have
1-800 numbers people can call. Any evacuee can go to the nearest state or
local benefits offices to get information and get enrolled. Evacuees
staying in a home or church that has access to the Internet, or who can
visit a nearby public library with Internet access, can also enroll by going
to www.govbenefits.gov.