Storms and floods

Winter Storms, Floods and Your Medicare in Ohio

When a flood, tornado or winter storm leads to an emergency or disaster declaration where you live in Ohio, some Medicare rules loosen for a while. Your drug plan can help replace lost medicines, a Medicare Advantage plan may have to cover non-network facilities at in-network cost, 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

Ohio's recent disaster declarations

FEMA's records show two federal major disaster declarations for Ohio since 2021:

DR-4777, tornadoes of March 14, 2024: declared May 2, 2024, with individual assistance for 11 counties: Auglaize, Crawford, Darke, Delaware, Hancock, Licking, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Richland and Union.
DR-4945, severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding and landslides of August 10 to 22, 2026: declared October 2, 2026, with individual assistance for 7 counties: Clermont, Franklin, Hamilton, Licking, Morgan, Muskingum and Perry.

FEMA hasn't issued a winter storm declaration for Ohio in that time, but ice and snow can still cut power and close roads for days. Medicare's disaster rules also apply when the Governor or a local government declares an emergency, not only after a FEMA declaration.

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 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.

The period starts on the earliest of the declaration date, the incident start date or the start date in the declaration, and ends 2 full calendar months after the incident end date. If no end date is set, the incident is treated as ending one year after the period starts (or at a later renewal). If DR-4945's incident end date stays August 22, 2026, its period ran through October 31, 2026. To use the special enrollment period, call 1-800-MEDICARE and explain how the disaster affected you. See the disaster special enrollment period and all Medicare enrollment periods.

Does my Medicare Advantage plan have to cover out-of-network care?

When a disaster is declared and it disrupts your access to your plan's doctors and hospitals, yes. Under 42 CFR 422.100(m), a Medicare Advantage plan must cover Part A, Part B and supplemental benefits at facilities outside its network, charge you in-network cost sharing, waive referral requirements, and make changes that help you right away. This applies to declarations by the President, a public health emergency declared by the HHS Secretary, or a declaration by the Governor of Ohio. It lasts until 30 days after all the declarations for your area end, or until the plan's network works normally again, whichever is earlier. A county or city declaration alone doesn't trigger these rules.

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

Getting your medicines

Medicare.gov says that if you live in a declared area, your Part D or Medicare Advantage 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 guide adds that 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.

Ohio also has its own emergency refill law, Ohio Revised Code 4729.281 (effective June 1, 2022). It isn't limited to disasters. When your pharmacy has a record of your prescription but no refills remain, and the pharmacist can't reach your prescriber, the pharmacist may dispense the drug if it's essential to sustain life or continue therapy for a chronic condition:

Usually once, up to a 72-hour supply.
For a non-controlled drug you've taken consistently, up to three times in 12 months (never back to back): first up to a 30-day supply, then up to 7 days.
Schedule II controlled drugs are excluded. The pharmacist must tell your prescriber within 72 hours.

More in early refills before a winter storm.

Oxygen, medical equipment and power outages

If you use an oxygen concentrator, CPAP, power wheelchair or other electric equipment, plan for power before the storm.

Medicare doesn't pay for backup power. A Medicare equipment contractor's coverage article says adapters and backup batteries for equipment that can run on wall power are denied as not medically necessary, and tells people who need uninterrupted power to contact their power company. Don't count on Medicare to pay for a generator. See does Medicare pay for a generator?
Ask your oxygen supplier what backup tanks to keep and how long they last. Medicare.gov says your supplier must give you the oxygen you need each month; if you're running low, call the supplier right away.
Lost or damaged equipment: with Original Medicare, Medicare usually covers repair or replacement of equipment it paid for that was lost or damaged in a disaster, from a Medicare-approved supplier, and may cover a rental during repairs. With Medicare Advantage, call your plan.
Know Ohio's medical certification rule. For utilities regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, a licensed physician, physician assistant, clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner or nurse-midwife can certify that a shutoff would be especially dangerous to a resident's health or would stop life-supporting equipment. That prevents disconnection for nonpayment for 30 days, and it can be renewed twice, up to 90 days in 12 months (OAC 4901:1-18-06(C)). You still owe the bill, and you'll need a payment plan. It doesn't keep power on during a storm outage.

If you get dialysis

With Original Medicare, your End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Network can help you keep getting treatment and find supplies, drugs and transportation. Ohio is served by ESRD Network 9, the ESRD Network of the Ohio River Valley, which also covers Indiana and Kentucky. Its patient line is 1-800-238-3773. With a Medicare Advantage plan, call the plan too. Ask your dialysis center now for its emergency plan, a backup location and the emergency diet to follow if you miss a treatment.

Replacing a lost Medicare card

With Original Medicare, 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). If you get Railroad Retirement Board benefits, call the RRB at 1-877-772-5772. For a Medicare Advantage, Part D or Medigap card, call the company. If you don't know your plan's phone number, 1-800-MEDICARE can tell you.

Medicare.gov also reminds you that plan premiums are still due during a disaster. Having the premium taken from your Social Security payment, or paid by automatic bank transfer, keeps coverage going if the mail stops.

Where else to get help

FEMA: apply at DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 (TTY 1-800-462-7585) when your county is in a declaration that includes individual assistance.
Ohio Emergency Management Agency (ema.ohio.gov): state emergency information and preparedness.
1-800-MEDICARE: plan contacts, enrollment changes and equipment questions.
Area agency on aging: 1-866-243-5678 connects you to the one for your county.
Scams after storms: FEMA doesn't charge to apply. See Medicare fraud in Ohio and Ohio Medicare contacts.

An Ohio storm and flood checklist

Keep a medicine list. Write down each drug, dose, prescriber and your pharmacy, and keep it in a waterproof bag with a photo on your phone.
Photograph your cards. Take pictures of your Medicare, plan and Medigap cards.
Ask about longer supplies. Ask your drug plan about 90-day fills or mail order before winter.
Plan for power. Get backup instructions from your equipment supplier, ask your doctor about a medical certificate if you need one, tell your electric company, and decide where you'd go in a long outage.
Plan for dialysis. Get your center's emergency plan and save ESRD Network 9's line, 1-800-238-3773.
Review your coverage. Know whether your plan's network reaches where you'd go in an emergency. To review plans from the companies they work with, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent, or see plans for your ZIP code.

Living far from a hospital? See Medicare in rural and Appalachian Ohio.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

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

Ask your oxygen supplier now what backup tanks you should keep, how long they last and how the supplier will reach you in an outage. Medicare doesn't pay for a generator. Tell your electric company that someone in your home depends on medical equipment, and decide where you would go if the power stays out.

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. If you have a Medicare Advantage, Part D or Medigap plan, call that company for a new plan card.

Can I see an out-of-network doctor after a disaster?

With Original Medicare you can always see any provider that accepts Medicare. With Medicare Advantage, when the President, the HHS Secretary or the Governor of Ohio declares a disaster that disrupts your plan's network, federal rules require the plan to cover non-network facilities at in-network cost sharing until 30 days after the declarations end or access is back to normal, whichever comes first.

Do I get a special enrollment period after an Ohio flood?

Only if a federal, state or local government declared an emergency or disaster where you live (or where the person who helps you with health decisions lives), and it kept you from using another enrollment period you were eligible for. It lasts until 2 full calendar months after the incident ends. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to use it.

Can an Ohio pharmacist refill my prescription if my doctor can't be reached?

Often, yes. Under Ohio Revised Code 4729.281, a pharmacist can dispense an emergency supply of a drug you already have a prescription for when the prescriber can't be reached and going without could harm you. It's usually up to 72 hours, or up to 30 days for a non-controlled drug you take regularly. Schedule II drugs are excluded.

Medicare in your Ohio county

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Licensed insurance agents for Ohio

These independent insurance agents are licensed in Ohio and work with Benefits Life, the publisher of this site. When they enroll you in a plan, the agent and Benefits Life may be paid by the insurance company. Learn more.