Hurricane Readiness

Attention AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana members:

• Public transportation may be down in certain areas impacted by Hurricane Francine. If you typically use public transportation to get to your medical appointments, and need help finding a ride, please call 1-888-913-0364 for assistance. 
• For the latest updates on the weather in your community, look to your local news as well as the National Weather Service. The Department of Health and AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana will also share the latest on its social media channels (@LaDeptHealth @AmeriHealthLA on Twitter and Facebook). 
• We encourage residents with questions about the storm, sheltering or medical needs to call 211.

General Guidance

• Avoid flood waters, both driving and walking through them, especially on highways and roads.

Prepare for power outages

• When the power is out, throw away any medication that should be refrigerated, unless the drug’s label says otherwise. If your life depends on the refrigerated drugs, use them only until a new supply is available. Replace all refrigerated drugs as soon as possible.
• Residents should assume that any downed utility line is energized. Stay away, and keep children and pets away, from downed lines. Call the electric company to report them. Learn more on how to protect yourself from electrical hazards after a disaster.
• Extreme heat can be especially dangerous for those with chronic medical conditions like heart disease, mental illness, poor blood circulation, and obesity. Check on friends and loved ones, and follow these tips on how to prevent heat-related illness after a power outage.
• Here are three ways to prepare your health for a possible power outage:
  • Fully charge your mobile and medical devices and backup power sources.
  • Make an emergency power plan.
  • Test your carbon monoxide detectors.

• We know many of you may be dusting off your generators for the first time all year. Please remember:
  • Portable generators should never be used indoors (PDF). This includes in a garage, carport, basement, crawl space, or other enclosed or partially enclosed areas, even those with ventilation.
  • Gas-powered generators produce an exhaust of carbon monoxide (CO) which is odorless and colorless. CO inhalation can rapidly lead to full incapacitation or death. Opening windows or doors or using fans will not prevent the buildup of CO. If you start to feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air IMMEDIATELY. Be sure to place the generator away from doors, windows, and vents that could allow CO to come indoors.
  • Keep the generator dry and do not use it in rain or wet conditions. Protect the generator from moisture by operating it on a dry surface under an open canopy-like structure, such as a tarp held up on poles.

Staying with friends or family

• If you plan to stay with others, talk to them in advance about how you can all best protect yourselves from illness such as flu, or COVID-19.
• Consider if either of your households has someone who is at higher risk of developing severe illness, including older adults or people of any age who have underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or chronic kidney disease.
• Follow everyday preventive actions, including covering coughs and sneezes, washing your hands often, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Consider taking extra precautions for people living in close quarters.
  • If your household includes one or more vulnerable people then all members of the household should behave as if they themselves are at higher risk.
  • Limit errands. Choose one or two family members who are not at a higher risk to run the essential errands.
  • Vulnerable members should avoid caring for children and those who are sick.
  • Separate a household member who is sick.
• Know what to do if someone in your family or in the household you are staying with becomes sick. Create a sick room or at least keep distance where possible between the sick person and others.

Louisiana Department of Health and Louisiana Cancer Prevention and Control Programs' cancer care and treatment hotline

Patients with cancer who evacuated their homes because of a hurricane can call a new toll-free hotline for assistance with reaching their doctors about ongoing cancer treatments and cancer care.

Toll-free line is 1-888-599-1073
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.

The hotline is provided in partnership by the Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Cancer Prevention and Control Programs (LCP).

LCP will work to help connect patients with cancer to their doctors. There is also an LCP medical advisor who can help answer questions from patients. LCP is financed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is housed at the LSU Health New Orleans’ School of Public Health.

Food and water safety

• Listen to water advisories from local authorities to find out if your water is safe for drinking and bathing after a hurricane. You may only be able to use bottled, boiled, or treated water for drinking, cooking, and other uses.
• If you are in a disaster or emergency, it’s important that you take steps to prevent illness from unsafe food and water.
• Throw away food that may have come in contact with flood or storm water. Unsafe food can make you sick even if it looks, smells, and tastes normal. Throw away perishable foods that have not been refrigerated properly due to power outages; also discard foods with an unusual odor, color, or texture. When in doubt, throw it out.

Floodwaters and cleanup

• Avoid floodwaters, both driving and walking through them, especially on highways and roads. They could be mixed with sewage or other dangerous contaminants. Or the floodwaters could be covering other dangers, such as exposed electrical wires or sharp objects. For your health and safety, just stay out of the water.
• Take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones during cleanup after a hurricane.
  • Follow safety precautions before reentering your flooded home.
  • Follow our cleanup tips and monitor your radio or television for up-to-date emergency information.
• Parents: When you return home after a flood, keep your children out of the affected area until cleanup is completed. Don’t allow children to play in or near floodwaters. CDC offers tips to keep your family safe after a flood.
• If your home was flooded, check for mold growth. CDC offers information on how to clean up mold safely after the flood.

Managing stress and anxiety

• The Behavioral Health Recovery Outreach Line connects individuals to real-time support to avoid, prevent or intercept a crisis from occurring. This line offers recovery support 24/7/365 for those with substance use, mental health, mental illness or co-occurring disorders. Additionally, this line is focused on providing assistance to individuals in the healthcare field and as such they can access these services any day, any time. Call the state's 1-833-333-1132 line to speak with a qualified support provider who can connect you to trained specialists and clinicians in multiple languages.
• People with preexisting mental health conditions should continue with their treatment and be aware of new or worsening symptoms.
• The Louisiana Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) is encouraging Louisianans to check out an electronic resource from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Taking Care of Your Own Behavioral Health (PDF) which promotes positive coping and self-care during these unique times.

Important AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana phone numbers and resources:

• AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana Member Services: Member Services at 1-888-756-0004 (TTY 1-866-428-7588), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana 24/7 Nurse Call Line: 1-888-632-0009.
• Pharmacy Member Services: 1-800-424-1664 (TTY:711), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For the latest hurricane information, visit the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness: www.gohsep.la.gov, or the Louisiana Department of Health: www.ldh.la.gov.