The California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA) Launches Wildfire Resource Portal: A One-Stop Relief and Recovery Resource Center for CPMA Members Impacted by the Southern California Wildfires

Please Note:  We Have Temporarily Opened Access to the Center to Allow Both Member and Non-Member Doctors and Their Staffs to Access the Fire Relief and Recovery Resource Center.  The Center Will Be Updated as More Information Becomes Available.

 

CPMA Wildfire Relief and Recovery Resource Center 

L.A County – Relief |L.A. County- EmergencyCity of L.A. | State of California | Find a Shelter | Red Cross | FEMA | DOI SBA

For Your Home    

211LA Housing Application

          
CHECKLIST: What to Do If You Lose Your Home in a Wildfire

FAQ: Returning After a Fire | LA County 

City of L.A. Emergency Management Department

Assistance for Property Owners

Other Assistance & Support

·     Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac | Offering forbearance, payment deferral plans, and disaster recovery counseling through HUD. 

·     Tax Filing Extensions https://sherman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/tax-relief-response-la-county-fires

Assistance for Property Owners

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):

·      Individual assistance is available throughFEMA. Three ways to register for FEMA Assistance andvideo tutorial:

1.  Online atDisasterAssistance.gov. Applying online is the easiest, fastest, and most convenient way to apply.

2.  On theFEMA Appfor mobile devices.

3.  Call the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362: 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. (PST). Help is available in most languages.

LA County Property Damage Claims:

·      For assistance seeking help for property damage claims, contact the LA County Tax Assessor atAssessor - Disaster Reliefor at (213) 974-3211.

Tips:

·      Document damage with photos or videos.

·      Keep all receipts for expenses related to evacuation or temporary housing.

·      Check out theTop 10 Tips for Wildfire Claimants.

·      For personal assistance, contact the California Department of Insurance Hotline at (800) 927-4357.

·      Find out if your home has been damaged withDamage Inspection Dashboard

·      Insurance claims can be found at theResources to Help Recent Wildfire Victims.

·      Taxpayers and businesses impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires will be granted a postponement to file California and federal tax returns. A list of all tax programs included in this extension can be foundhere.

·      Tax relief could be available if your property is damaged or destroyed by a fire. File anApplication for Reassessment: Property Damaged or Destroyed by Misfortune or Calamitywith the Assessors Office within 12 months.

·      Access shelter and housing services

·      Take care of your health, safety, and emotional well-being

·      Avoid After-Disaster Scams

·      If you see price gouging or if you've been the victim of it, file a report with the California Department of Justice at:ca.gov/report

 

For Your Practice

Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order Postponing Renewal Fees for Licensees Impacted by Los Angeles Fires

Eligible licensees can elect to postpone payment of 2025 license renewal fees to 2026

On January 29, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-15-25, which postpones for one year the license renewal fees for Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA/Department) licenses that expire between January 1, 2025 and June 30, 2025, and whose residential or business address is within the impacted zip codes:

  • 90041, 90049, 90265, 90272, 90290, 90402, 91001, 91024, 91103 91104, 91107, 91367, 93536

 

Upon license renewal (either online or by paper, depending on the licensing entity), licensees eligible for the renewal fee postponement will renew with no payment due. This year’s renewal fees will automatically be postponed to 2026.

Please note, renewal fees are not waived. You will still be required to pay the fees, but they will not be collected until 2026.

Licensees with questions should contact their licensing Board or Bureau directly. For Board and Bureau contact information, click here. 

 

Doctors Affected by SoCal Fires Will Be Granted Automatic MIPS Exceptions

 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that physicians participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) who have been adversely impacted by the Southern California fires will be covered under the "Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances" policy for both the 2024 and 2025 performance periods.

This policy grants MIPS-eligible clinicians exceptions without having to submit an exception request. Physicians in the affected areas will be automatically identified and have all 4 performance categories reweighted to 0% during the data submission period for the 2024 performance period (January 2 to March 31, 2025) and 2025 performance period (January 2 to March 31, 2026). This will result in a score equal to the performance threshold. 

However, if MIPS eligible clinicians in these areas submit data on 2 or more performance categories for either/both performance years, they’ll be scored on those performance categories and receive a payment adjustment based on their MIPS final score. 

The automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy will not apply to MIPS eligible clinicians in MIPS Alternative Payment Models (APMs), or to those participating in MIPS as groups, subgroups or virtual groups. However, groups, virtual groups, and APM entities can request reweighting through the EUC exception application. Subgroups will inherit any reweighting approved for their affiliated group; they can’t request reweighting independent of their affiliated group’s status. 

For More Information 

Please reference the MIPS EUC Exception section on the Quality Payment Program Exception Applications webpage and 2024 MIPS Automatic EUC Policy Fact Sheet (PDF, 401KB) and 2025 MIPS Automatic EUC Policy Fact Sheet (PDF, 326KB).

Support for Affected Businesses 

·      Taxpayers and businesses impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires will be granted a postponement to file their tax returns. A list of all tax programs included in this extension can be found here.

·      The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is expected to have disaster loans available to homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes in areas covered by a disaster declaration. You can find more information here:

§  California January Wind and Fires Incident

§  General Information on Disaster Programs

·      Get support from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation and find information on What To Do After a Disaster

·      Businesses impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires will be granted a postponement to file their tax returns. A list of all tax programs included in this extension can be found here.

  ·     Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department has assembled resources for business and workers impacted by the fire.

·      For Workers:

§  Work Source Centers provide free employment services for dislocated workers

§  If you have lost a job, apply for unemployment benefits here.

§  Additional job loss and layoff assistance for workers.

·      For Businesses:

§  Business Source Centers provide free business consultation services as well as loan and grant assistance

§  Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporationprovides resources to assist businesses survive and recover after natural disasters

§  Strategies to avert layoffs for businesses can be found here.

§  State of California Resources for Businesses impacted by fire including grant and loan information

 

For Your Patients

CMA Guide

CMA’s publishes guide to help patients and physicians obtain information about how patients can access care, refill prescriptions, replace medical supplies or ID cards, prior authorization/referrals and more. Download now 

  • Health Net |Doctors and nurse practitioners can call Health Net at 1-800-641-7761 for help with:
    • Emergency prescription refill guidelines.
    • Escalating approvals to reduce approval turnaround times.
    • Approval for out-of-network treatments when in-network resources are unavailable.
  • L.A. Care Health Plan | Service Updates for L.A. Care Members
    • L.A. Care understands that during this emergency some members may have to seek out-of-network services. This may happen if a member's usual provider is unable to work because the facility is shut down, or the provider is directly impacted by the fires.  For guidance in this situation, please call one of the following numbers:
      • Medi-Cal1-888-839-9909
      • L.A. Care Covered ™ 1-855-270-2327
      • PASC-SEIU Plan 1-844-854-7272
      • L.A. Care Medicare Plus 1-833-LAC-DSNP (1-833-522-3767) (TTY: 711)

Patient Communications 

Clear communication builds trust during difficult times.

Mental Health

  • Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health 1-800-854-7771
  • Carelon Behavioral Health 1-877-344-2858
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 (TTY: 711) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Prescription Information

  • GoodRx is offering free telehealth visits for Angelenos in need. Talk to a provider online for $0 using promo code LA-GOODRX-CARE. Terms and conditions apply
  • Medi-Cal 1-888-839-9909
  • Health Net 1-800-641-7761
  • L.A. Care Covered ™ 1-855-270-2327
  • PASC-SEIU Plan 1-844-854-7272
  • L.A. Care Medicare Plus 1-833-LAC-DSNP (1-833-522-3767) (TTY: 711)

Mental Health

  • Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health 1-800-854-7771
  • Carelon Behavioral Health 1-877-344-2858
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 (TTY: 711) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

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