Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.
I'm grateful for his quick action.
A presidential disaster declaration flows through the Stafford Act and FEMA; a public health emergency flows through HHS and a separate statutory framework built around Medicare, Medicaid and healthcare regulatory flexibility.
The Spokane area alone accounts for a disproportionate share of the damage.
The alternative-care-setting provision matters for a similar reason.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a federal public health emergency for six Washington counties Thursday, a second major federal action in a week as wildfires burn 425,000 acres and force 60,000 evacuations.