06/05/2025
POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT
Reintroduction of the Disaster Relief Medicaid Act (DRMA)
DRMA will be introduced in the 119th Congress next Thursday, June 12th!
Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) will be introducing DRMA along with Senators Schatz from Hawaiʻi and Adam Schiff from California.
Congressman Panetta (CA-19) will be introducing DRMA in the House.
Now we need every Congressperson to co-sponsor DRMA!
Please take action by contacting your congressional representatives using the email template and call script below.
Thank you for your advocacy!
Instructions for Email Template and Call Script
Text within [brackets] indicates a placeholder that you should customize based on your outreach. Please replace bracketed text with the relevant information before sending or using the message. For example:
• [INSERT NAME OF INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION] → Replace with your name or organization’s name.
• [CONGRESSPERSON'S NAME] → Replace with the name of the Senator or Representative you are contacting.
• [Senator Blumenthal’s office...] or [Representative Panetta’s office...] → Use the appropriate contact based on whether you are reaching out to a Senator or Representative.
Make sure all placeholders are updated to reflect your specific message before sending.
Sample Email for DRMA Congressional Outreach
[INSERT NAME OF INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION] is working with The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies (The Partnership), alongside Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representative Panetta (D-CA), on a critical piece of legislation to ensure equitable and uninterrupted access to Medicaid for people impacted by disasters or public health emergencies.
We respectfully urge [CONGRESSPERSON'S NAME] to cosponsor the Disaster Relief Medicaid Act (DRMA). This life-saving legislation ensures that people with disabilities, older adults, and low-income survivors of disasters can access the health care and home and community based services they need, regardless of where they are displaced.
During disasters, survivors are often forced across state lines or into unfamiliar systems, losing their Medicaid access at a time of greatest need. DRMA would guarantee portable, streamlined Medicaid coverage for relief-eligible survivors through a Relief Coverage Period lasting two years from the date of a declared disaster, national emergency, or public health emergency.
This bill recognizes that disaster survivors:
• Are more likely to be disabled, older, or low-income;
• Often face barriers to reapplying or qualifying under new state systems;
• Should not be forced to forgo necessary health care, including mental health and long-term services and supports, simply because of bureaucratic delays or displacement.
Under DRMA, survivors will receive temporary, simplified access to Medicaid services, with protections including:
• Presumptive eligibility and streamlined enrollment with no documentation burdens;
• Portability of Medicaid coverage across state lines;
• Continuous eligibility for pregnant and postpartum individuals, along with people with pending applications beyond the disaster period.
Disabled lives are on the line during every disaster. This bill is not just a policy change, it’s a matter of health equity and civil rights.
Will [CONGRESSPERSON'S NAME] be a cosponsor of the Disaster Relief Medicaid Act and contact [Senator Blumenthal’s] [Representative Panetta’s] office today?
Congressional Offices Contact Info
To sign on
• For Senators:
Contact Sen. Blumenthal’s (D-CT) office:
Kasandra Navarro – Kasandra_Navarro@blumenthal.senate.gov
• For Representatives:
Contact Rep. Panetta’s (D-CA) office:
Seamus McKeon – Seamus.McKeon@mail.house.gov
Sample Phone Script for DRMA Congressional Outreach
Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m calling on behalf of [Your Organization/Yourself as a Constituent]. I’m calling to urge [Congressperson’s Name] to cosponsor the Disaster Relief Medicaid Act, or DRMA.
This legislation is a critical step toward ensuring that disabled people, older adults, and low-income disaster survivors don’t lose access to life-saving Medicaid services simply because they’re displaced during a disaster or public health emergency.
DRMA creates a streamlined, portable Medicaid coverage option for disaster survivors, allowing them to access the health care they need, no matter where they are. It includes protections like presumptive eligibility, portability across state lines, and coverage for essential services like mental health and home and community-based supports.
Disabled lives are on the line in every disaster. DRMA is a matter of health equity and civil rights.
Can I count on [Congressperson’s Name] to cosponsor DRMA and contact [Senator Blumenthal’s office by emailing Kasandra Navarro at Kasandra_Navarro@blumenthal.senate.gov] [Representative Panetta’s office by emailing Seamus McKeon at Seamus.McKeon@mail.house.gov office today?
Thank you so much for your time and support.
Additional Information about DRMA:
The Disaster Relief Medicaid Act will:
• Establish a temporary disaster Medicaid eligibility pathway for individuals displaced or impacted by a major disaster or public health emergency;
• Include protections for pregnant and postpartum individuals, unemployed disaster survivors, and unhoused individuals;
• Provide retroactive coverage and continuous eligibility during a 2-year relief period;
• Cover extended mental health, substance use, and care coordination services;
• Prohibit states from requiring documentation to verify eligibility status;
• Align with existing Medicaid laws and simplifies coordination across states;
• Clarify that services to newborns of DRMA-eligible parents are covered;
• Ensure equitable care regardless of displacement or loss of employment due to disaster conditions;
• Establish an Attendant Care Response Corps to ensure availability of personal care attendants during disasters, supporting the independence and safety of people with disabilities and older adults;
• Provide a 100% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) match for all Medicaid services and related administrative costs for relief-eligible survivors, whether they remain in their home state or relocate to another, helping states sustain critical health services without added financial strain during disaster response and recovery.
Learn More About DRMA Here
The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies has been collaborating with Senator Casey (D-PA), Congresswoman Dingell (D-MI), and Congressman Panetta (D-CA) on the Real Emergency Access for Agi…
