Current emergencies

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding – Washington (2025)  

Secretary Kennedy used his authority under section 319 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act to declare a public health emergency (PHE) for the State of Washington on December 23, 2025, giving us the flexibility to support our beneficiaries in Washington, effective retrospectively since December 09, 2025. 

• 2025 Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding (Washington) Public Health Emergency Determination
• 2025 Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding (Washington) 1135 Waiver Secretarial Approval
  • Apply for an 1135 waiver or submit a public health emergency (PHE)-related inquiry
    • Get a quick-start guide to learn how to submit an 1135 waiver (PDF) or a PHE inquiry (PDF)
    • Watch our YouTube training videos:
      • 1135 Waiver/Flexibility Requests
      • PHE-related Inquiry Requests
• Waiver requests related to the Physician Self-Referral Law (commonly referred to as the “Stark Law”) should not be submitted via the web portal. For these requests, please visit the Physician Self-Referral Spotlight Page for additional information.
• Special enrollment periods for 2025 Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding (Washington) victims (PDF)
• Disaster Preparedness Toolkit for State Medicaid Agencies