{ "id": "RL33579", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL33579", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 348065, "date": "2009-04-29", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T22:28:35.917256", "title": "The Public Health and Medical Response to Disasters: Federal Authority and Funding", "summary": "When there is a catastrophe in the United States, state and local governments lead response activities, invoking state and local legal authorities to support them. When state and local response capabilities are overwhelmed, the President, acting through the Secretary of Homeland Security, can provide assistance to stricken communities, individuals, governments, and not-for-profit groups to assist in response and recovery. Aid is provided under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act) upon a presidential declaration. The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) also has both standing and emergency authorities in the Public Health Service Act, by which he or she can provide assistance in response to public health and medical emergencies. At this time, however, the Secretary of HHS has limited means to finance activities that are ineligible, for whatever reason, for Stafford Act assistance.\nThe flawed response to Hurricane Katrina, and preparedness efforts for an influenza (\u201cflu\u201d) pandemic, have each raised concerns about federal response mechanisms for incidents that result in overwhelming public health and medical needs. These concerns include the delegation of responsibilities among different federal departments, and whether critical conflicts or gaps exist in these relationships. In particular, there are some concerns about federal leadership and delegations of responsibility as laid out in the National Response Framework (NRF), published by the Department of Homeland Security.\nThere is no federal assistance program designed purposefully to cover the uninsured or uncompensated costs of individual health care that may be needed as a consequence of a disaster. While there is not consensus that this should be a federal responsibility, Congress has provided such assistance to victims of some specific disasters in the past. For example, following Hurricane Katrina, Congress provided short-term assistance to host states, through the Medicaid program, to cover a portion of the uninsured health care costs of eligible evacuees. Congress has provided funding\u2014and some have proposed establishing statutory authority\u2014to cover certain uninsured health care costs for responders and others who are having health problems related to exposures at the World Trade Center site in New York City after the 2001 terrorist attack. Also, legislation introduced in the 110th Congress proposed to grant the Secretary of HHS the authority to use a special fund to provide temporary emergency health care coverage for uninsured individuals affected by future public health emergencies.\nThis report examines, with respect to public health and medical incidents, (1) the authorities and coordinating mechanisms of the President and the Secretary of HHS in providing routine assistance, and assistance pursuant to the Stafford Act and/or the Public Health Service Act; (2) mechanisms to assure a coordinated federal response to these incidents, and overlaps or gaps in agency responsibilities; and (3) existing mechanisms, potential gaps, and proposals to fund the costs of a response to public health and medical incidents. A listing of federal public health emergency authorities is provided in the Appendix. 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Disasters: Federal Authority and Funding", "summary": "This report examines (1) the authorities and coordinating mechanisms of the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in providing routine assistance, and assistance pursuant to emergency or major disaster declarations and/or public health emergency determinations; (2) mechanisms to assure a coordinated federal response to public health and medical emergencies, and overlaps or gaps in agency responsibilities; and (3) existing mechanisms, potential gaps, and proposals for financing the costs of a response to public health and medical emergencies.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20080801_RL33579_7d19c34dcff01e424047a7eca7af34e0c0b0db4a.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20080801_RL33579_7d19c34dcff01e424047a7eca7af34e0c0b0db4a.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency management", "name": "Emergency management" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency medicine", "name": "Emergency medicine" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency medical services", "name": "Emergency medical services" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc462504/", "id": "RL33579_2008Jun23", "date": "2008-06-23", "retrieved": "2014-12-05T09:57:41", "title": "The Public Health and Medical Response to Disasters: Federal Authority and Funding", "summary": "This report examines, first, the authorities and coordinating mechanisms of the President and the Secretary of HHS in providing routine assistance, and assistance pursuant to emergency or major disaster declarations and/or public health emergency determinations; second, mechanisms to assure a coordinated federal response to public health and medical emergencies, and overlaps or gaps in agency responsibilities; and finally, existing mechanisms, potential gaps, and proposals for financing the costs of a response to public health and medical emergencies.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20080623_RL33579_4c07513f5af4e850957855699b3504d4238265d1.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20080623_RL33579_4c07513f5af4e850957855699b3504d4238265d1.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency management", "name": "Emergency management" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency medicine", "name": "Emergency medicine" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency medical services", "name": "Emergency medical services" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc820307/", "id": "RL33579_2007Sep19", "date": "2007-09-19", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "The Public Health and Medical Response to Disasters: Federal Authority and Funding", 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North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc807885/", "id": "RL33579_2006Oct10", "date": "2006-10-10", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "The Public Health and Medical Response to Disasters: Federal Authority and Funding", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20061010_RL33579_83781ac9f0b7a7dd6e0d72a9cf5cab1b2357a667.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20061010_RL33579_83781ac9f0b7a7dd6e0d72a9cf5cab1b2357a667.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs9494/", "id": "RL33579 2006-08-04", "date": "2006-08-04", "retrieved": "2006-12-05T13:10:02", "title": "The Public Health and Medical Response to Disasters: Federal Authority and Funding", "summary": null, "type": "CRS 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"retrieved": "2006-12-05T13:10:59", "title": "The Public Health and Medical Response to Disasters: Federal Authority and Funding", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060728_RL33579_be918682844b3ba5c421b7434ce175ef59080084.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060728_RL33579_be918682844b3ba5c421b7434ce175ef59080084.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Public health", "name": "Public health" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Epidemics", "name": "Epidemics" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Disaster relief", "name": "Disaster relief" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency medical services", "name": "Emergency medical services" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Disasters", "name": "Disasters" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Medicine", "name": "Medicine" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency management", "name": "Emergency management" } ] } ], "topics": [ "American Law", "Economic Policy", 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