Emergency Preparedness
The health and well-being of our members is a top priority.
We understand the importance of communicating with our members during an event that interrupts business or, more importantly, is a local or regional emergency. If the governor of Louisiana, the U.S. secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services or the president of the United States declares a state of emergency for Louisiana, Peoples Health is obligated to maintain administration of plan benefits and coordination of care for our plan members. During a disaster or emergency, members may continue to contact Peoples Health by phone, fax and email, as well as through the member website.
Peoples Health recommends that our members be as prepared as possible for any type of emergency by having a plan in place that addresses individual health and wellness needs.
Be Prepared for a Disaster: What You Need to Know
Download the Be Prepared for a Disaster: What You Need to Know PDF
Viewing PDF documents on your computer may require Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded for free.
Be Prepared for a Disaster: What You Need to Know
Download the Be Prepared for a Disaster: What You Need to Know PDF
Viewing PDF documents on your computer may require Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded for free.
If you’re affected by a disaster or emergency declaration by the president or a governor, or an announcement of a public health emergency by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, there is certain additional support available to you.
- Part A, Part B, and supplemental Part C plan benefits can be received from specified non-contracted facilities (note that Part A and Part B benefits must be obtained at Medicare-certified facilities)
- Where applicable, requirements for gatekeeper referrals are waived in full
- Plan-approved, out-of-network cost-sharing to network cost-sharing amounts are temporarily reduced
- The 30-day notification requirement to members is waived, as long as all the changes (such as reduction of cost-sharing and waiving authorization) benefit the member
If a disaster or emergency is declared and CMS hasn’t provided an end date for the disaster or emergency, plans will resume normal operation 30 days after the initial declaration.
If you need assistance:
Customer Service:
Call toll-free at 1-877-369-1907
TTY: 711
October through March:
seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
April through September:
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Obtaining Prescriptions and Prescription Refills
We encourage our plan members to refill any maintenance medications prior to the approach of a hurricane. Thirty-day supply refills of maintenance medications will be honored regardless of when they were last filled. Early refills do not apply to controlled substances such as pain pills and sleeping pills. In addition, early refills do not apply to medications not normally considered maintenance medications, such as antibiotics. Members still have to pay their cost-sharing for these prescriptions.
Please note: Members must show their Peoples Health plan ID card to the pharmacist when filling or refilling prescriptions, even when they are are outside the Peoples Health service area due to an evacuation.
Peoples Health plan ID cards are honored at drugstores across the country, including most chain drugstores and many independent pharmacies. If a member fills a prescription at a local chain drugstore, it can be transferred to the chain drugstore in another location.
