The National Emergency Declaration authorizes FEMA is to provide Public Assistance (PA) funding to state and local jurisdictions (counties and municipalities) for Category B Emergency Protective measures, which are those actions a community undertakes before, during, and following a disaster to save lives, protect public health and safety, and eliminate the immediate threat.

On this page you will find links to federal guidance, FAQs, and forms to help Local Emergency Management Agencies understand the processes for capturing, reporting, and receiving reimbursement for proper Category B costs.

This information is only related to the FEMA Category B Assistance available under the Stafford Act for the COVID-19 National Emergency. Information for applicants and assistance for COVID-19 funding from the the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is available at:  https://www.cdc.gov/grants/public-health-emergencies/covid-19/index.html.

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Facility Eligibility

For SLTT governments, evaluating facility eligibility is not necessary for most emergency work.  PNPs are generally not eligible for reimbursement for emergency services because they are not legally responsible for providing those services.

PNPs that own or operate a medical or custodial care facility are eligible for:

• reimbursement of costs from FEMA related to patient evacuation when such an action is needed.
• in limited circumstances, reimbursement when essential components of a facility are urgently needed to save lives or protect health and safety, such as an emergency room of a PNP hospital.
• reimbursement of costs for emergency medical care, as outlined in the Eligible Emergency Medical Care Activities section.

Work Eligibility

Work must be necessary as a direct result of the emergency or major disaster (44 CFR §206.223(a)(1)). Costs must be directly related to COVID-19 cases. For example, emergency medical care costs related to a non-COVID-19 illness or injury are not eligible. 

Costs for personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care providers who are working in a hospital treating COVID-19 patients are eligible, as it is necessary to prevent further spread of the virus and protect health care workers and other patients.

Cost Eligibility

All assistance provided under PA is subject to standard program eligibility requirements, including reasonable cost, procurement, and duplication of benefits requirements.

Emergency Medical Care versus Long-Term Medical Treatment 

• Only emergency medical care that is necessary to save lives and/or protect public health and safety is eligible.

Long-term medical treatment is not eligible. This includes:

• Medical care costs incurred once a COVID-19 patient is admitted to a medical facility on an inpatient basis.
• Costs associated with follow-on treatment of COVID-19 patients beyond the duration of the Public Health Emergency, as determined by HHS.
• Administrative costs associated with the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Eligible Emergency Medical Care Activities

Emergency medical care activities under the COVID-19 Declarations include, but are not limited to:

• Triage and medically necessary tests and diagnosis related to COVID-19 cases
• Emergency medical treatment of COVID-19 patients
• Prescription costs related to COVID-19 treatment
• Use or lease of specialized medical equipment necessary to respond to COVID-19 cases
• Purchase of PPE, durable medical equipment, and consumable medical supplies necessary to respond to COVID-19 cases (note that disposition requirements may apply)
• Medical waste disposal related to eligible emergency medical care
• Emergency medical transport related to COVID-19
• Temporary medical facilities and expanded medical care facility capacity for COVID-19 for facilities overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases and/or to quarantine patients infected or potentially infected by COVID-19.
• Temporary facilities and expansions may be used to treat COVID-19 patients or non-COVID-19 patients, as appropriate. 

Medical sheltering (e.g., when existing facilities are reasonably forecasted to become overloaded in the near future and cannot accommodate needs)

• All sheltering must be conducted in accordance with standards and/or guidance approved by HHS/CDC and must be implemented in a manner that incorporates social distancing measures.
• Non‐congregate medical sheltering may also be eligible, subject to prior approval by FEMA. 

• Examples include sheltering for those who test positive for COVID-19 who do not require hospitalization but need isolation (including those exiting from hospitals); those who have been exposed to COVID-19 who do not require hospitalization; and asymptomatic high-risk individuals needing social distancing as a precautionary measure, such as people over 65 or with certain underlying health conditions (respiratory, compromised immunities, chronic disease).

• Sheltering specific populations in non-congregate shelters should be determined by a public health official’s direction or in accordance with the direction or guidance of health officials by the appropriate state or local entities.  The request should specify the populations to be sheltered. 

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