Hurricanes and floods

Hurricanes, Floods and Your Medicare in North Carolina

When a hurricane or flood leads to an emergency or disaster declaration in North Carolina, some Medicare rules loosen for a while. Medicare Advantage plans may have to cover non-network facilities at in-network cost, drug plans can help replace lost medicines, Original Medicare usually replaces lost equipment it paid for, and if the disaster kept you from changing plans, you may get a special enrollment period.

By the Benefits Life Editorial Team, licensed insurance agents · Reviewed November 13, 2026

Quick answers

Was there a Medicare special enrollment period for Hurricane Helene?: Yes, for people who missed another enrollment period because of the storm. Helene's federal disaster, DR-4827-NC, had an incident period of Sept. 25 to Dec. 18, 2024, so its special enrollment period ran through Feb. 28, 2025. It is over.
Can I see out-of-network doctors after a hurricane?: With Original Medicare, you can always see any provider that accepts Medicare. With Medicare Advantage, when a declared disaster disrupts access to care, the plan must cover non-network facilities at in-network cost sharing (42 CFR 422.100(m)).
Will Medicare replace equipment lost in a flood?: With Original Medicare, in most cases yes: Medicare covers repair or replacement of equipment and supplies it paid for, from a Medicare-approved supplier. With Medicare Advantage, call your plan.
Can I get my prescriptions if I evacuate?: Your drug plan can help you find another network pharmacy, replace lost drugs, use an out-of-network pharmacy if you can't reach one in network, or get a 60- to 90-day supply. Keep receipts if you pay full price.
How do I replace my Medicare card after a flood?: Log in to (or create) your secure Medicare.gov account to print or order an official copy, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048). Call your plan for a new plan card.

What Hurricane Helene showed

FEMA's major disaster declaration for Helene, DR-4827-NC, was declared September 28, 2024, for an incident period of September 25 to December 18, 2024. Individual assistance covered 39 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey. An earlier federal emergency declaration, EM-3617, covered the whole state from September 26.

Helene showed that inland mountain counties, not only the coast, need a storm plan. The coast has its own risks: FEMA's DR-4837, for Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight (September 16 to 20, 2024), covered Brunswick, Carteret, Dare, New Hanover, Onslow and Stokes counties.

Life-threatening emergency? Call 911. Emergency care is covered anywhere in the United States, in or out of network, under Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

Can I change my Medicare plan after a disaster?

Sometimes. Federal rules at 42 CFR 422.62(b)(18) (Medicare Advantage) and 42 CFR 423.38(c)(23) (Part D) create a special enrollment period for people affected by an emergency or major disaster declared by a federal, state or local government. You qualify only if all of these are true:

You live in the declared area (or lived there when the period began), or you rely on someone there to help with your health care decisions.
You were eligible for another enrollment period during the disaster, such as Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7).
You didn't make a change during that period because of the disaster.

It isn't an open season for everyone in a disaster area. It replaces a chance you missed. The period starts on the earliest of the declaration date or the incident start date and ends 2 full calendar months after the incident end date. Helene's ran through February 28, 2025, and is over. Medicare.gov says a similar special enrollment period can let you sign up for Part B or premium Part A if a disaster kept you from doing so. To use one, call 1-800-MEDICARE. More in the disaster special enrollment period and all enrollment periods.

Out-of-network care during a declared disaster

With Original Medicare, you can see any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare, so evacuating doesn't change where you can go. A Medigap policy goes with you too.

With Medicare Advantage, 42 CFR 422.100(m) applies when the President declares a disaster or emergency, the HHS Secretary declares a public health emergency, or the Governor of North Carolina declares an emergency, and access to care is disrupted. The plan must then:

cover Part A, Part B and supplemental benefits at Medicare-certified facilities outside its network;
waive referral requirements;
charge you in-network cost sharing (if you pay more, save the receipt and ask for a refund);
make changes that help you right away.

This lasts until 30 days after all the declarations for your area end, or until access is back to normal, whichever is earlier. A county declaration alone doesn't trigger these rules. See out-of-network doctors after a hurricane.

Getting your medicines

Medicare.gov says that if you live in a declared area, your drug plan can help you find another network pharmacy, replace drugs that were lost or damaged (including ones left behind in an evacuation), use an out-of-network pharmacy when you can't reasonably reach one in network, and get a 60- or 90-day supply. CMS's disaster training says plans may relax "refill too soon" limits to replace lost or destroyed drugs. At an out-of-network pharmacy you'll probably pay full price, so keep the receipt and ask your plan to pay you back.

North Carolina also has an emergency refill law, G.S. 58-3-228. When the Insurance Commissioner issues a bulletin during a state of emergency or presidential disaster declaration, state-regulated health plans and the State Health Plan must allow one early refill or replacement fill for people in the affected counties who ask within 29 days. It wasn't written for federally regulated Medicare drug plans, so with Part D or a Medicare Advantage drug plan, call your plan. See early refills before a hurricane.

Wheelchairs, oxygen and other equipment

Lost or damaged equipment: with Original Medicare, Medicare usually covers repair or replacement of equipment and supplies it paid for that were lost or damaged in a disaster, from a Medicare-approved supplier, and may cover a rental during repairs. Replacing a rented item starts a new rental period (for example, 13 months for a CPAP), and replacing lost oxygen equipment starts a new 36-month payment period.
Oxygen and power outages: CMS says your oxygen supplier is responsible for arranging for your needs before an emergency. Ask about backup tanks now.
Medicare Advantage: the plan must let you repair or replace equipment at in-network rates when needed. Call the plan.

More in replacing equipment lost in a flood.

If you get dialysis

Federal rules (42 CFR 494.62) require every dialysis facility to have an emergency plan and to teach patients what to do, where to go, whom to call (including a backup phone number) and how to disconnect from the machine in an emergency. With Original Medicare, your End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Network can help you get treatment and find supplies and transportation. North Carolina is served by ESRD Network 6, the ESRD Network of the South Atlantic (with Georgia and South Carolina); its patient line is 1-800-238-3773. With a Medicare Advantage plan, call the plan too.

Where else to get help

FEMA: DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362 (TTY 1-800-462-7585) when your county is in a declaration with individual assistance.
ReadyNC (readync.gov): North Carolina Emergency Management's preparedness and storm information.
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048): plan contacts, enrollment changes and equipment questions.
Your area agency on aging through the NC Division of Aging's map of the 16 area agencies on aging, and your county Department of Social Services.
Scams after storms: Medicare.gov says Medicare will never call you uninvited and ask for personal or private information. See Medicare fraud in North Carolina and North Carolina Medicare contacts.

A North Carolina hurricane checklist

Keep a medicine list. Write down each drug, dose, prescriber and pharmacy, keep it in a waterproof bag and take a photo on your phone.
Photograph your cards. Your Medicare card and any Medicare Advantage, Part D or Medigap card.
Ask about longer supplies. Before hurricane season, ask your drug plan about 90-day fills or mail order.
Plan for power and equipment. Get backup instructions from your oxygen or equipment supplier, and decide where you'd go in a long outage.
Plan for dialysis. Get your center's emergency plan and save ESRD Network 6's line.
Review your coverage. Know whether your plan's network reaches where you'd evacuate. You can see plans for your ZIP code, or request a call from a licensed insurance agent to review plans from the companies they work with.

Living far from a hospital? See Medicare in rural and mountain North Carolina.

Sources

Every question in this guide

Frequently asked questions

How do I replace my Medicare card after a flood or fire?

Log in to (or create) your secure account at Medicare.gov to print or order an official copy, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048) to have one mailed. For a Medicare Advantage, Part D or Medigap card, call that company; 1-800-MEDICARE can give you the plan's number.

How do I plan for a power outage if I use oxygen at home?

Talk with your oxygen supplier before storm season. CMS says the supplier is responsible for arranging for your needs before an emergency, and a supplier may switch you to tanks or another type of oxygen during a power outage. Ask what backup to keep, how long it lasts and how the supplier will reach you.

Where can I get dialysis if a hurricane closes my clinic?

Ask your dialysis facility now for its emergency plan; federal rules require it to tell patients what to do, where to go and whom to call. With Original Medicare, your ESRD Network can help you find treatment. North Carolina is in ESRD Network 6, whose patient line is 1-800-238-3773. With Medicare Advantage, also call your plan.

Do I still have to pay my plan premium after a disaster?

Yes. Medicare.gov says Medicare Advantage and Part D premiums are still due during an emergency or disaster, and a plan may disenroll you if you don't pay. Having the premium taken from your Social Security payment or paid automatically can keep coverage going if mail stops.

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Licensed insurance agents for North Carolina

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