OxfordPress.com

Feds to reimburse Texas for Katrina-related Medicaid costs

AUSTIN, Texas — The federal government will pay the full cost of Medicaid coverage for Hurricane Katrina victims in Texas, Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's office announced Wednesday.

The federal government usually pays for 60 percent of the coverage with the state paying the rest. But the extraordinary circumstances of the hurricane prompted authorities to grant Texas a five-month waiver for services provided to evacuees only, officials said.

So far, no out-of-state evacuees have enrolled in the state's Medicaid program, said Jennifer Harris, spokeswoman for the state Health and Human Services Commission.

There is also no estimate of the cost for serving low income residents who qualify for the health insurance program.

The federal government's decision was announced as Gov. Rick Perry selected Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams to steer long-term relief for Hurricane Katrina victims displaced to Texas.

Williams said he planned to immediately telephone around 15 local government officials, school superintendents and leaders of non-profit and faith-based groups helping evacuees secure housing, jobs and other aid. Williams plans trips to Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth by the weekend.

"I am committed to bringing my personal passion and energy and dedication to this mission," said Williams, a former official in the U.S. Education and Treasury departments likely to advocate for more federal aid for Texas to pay for the needs of evacuees.

Perry said it is premature to estimate total costs to state and local Texas agencies for helping what the state says could be 373,000 evacuees in the state. That figure is based on 140,000 displaced heads of household registered in Texas with the U.S. government.

In Austin, the evacuation effort cost the city at least $2.7 million through Saturday, according to city estimates. The Austin Convention Center has spent almost $750,000 to provide shelter and food for up to 4,200 evacuees. Medical care has cost about $455,000, counting the deployment of paramedics to Louisiana.

Statewide, at least 53 hurricane evacuees from the New Orleans area have died since coming to Texas, medical examiners reported. As of Tuesday, Austin had reported two deaths. There was one each in San Antonio, Fort Worth and Smith County, which includes Tyler.

In Harris County, most of the 35 deaths were from natural causes, including several heart attacks and complications from cancer. Two killed themselves since an estimated 240,000 Gulf Coast residents fled to Texas because of the Aug. 29 storm.

There was one dead fetus, and ages of the adult dead ranged from 20 to 104. Many were elderly living in hospitals, hospice centers and nursing homes.

A 71-year-old man from New Orleans died inside the mass shelter at the Astrodome, and a 90-year-old woman died in the stadium parking lot.

"We think most of these people had existing conditions," said Beverly Begay, chief forensic investigator for the Harris County medical examiner's office. "Stress from the storm and the evacuation may have exacerbated their conditions."

The Dallas County medical examiner's office reported 13 deaths as of Wednesday morning, all from natural causes, said chief investigator Dave Gaubatz. All were elderly and staying in nursing homes and hospitals, he said.

"Almost everybody had terminal illnesses and was over 65," Gaubatz said.

W. Gardner Selby writes for the Austin American-Statesman. E-mail: wgselby@statesman.com. Additional material from staff writer Kate Alexander and The Associated Press.