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Hurricane Helene Recovery​

Vaya Health is here to support providers affected by Hurricane Helene. We serve 23 western North Carolina counties included in President Joe Biden’s disaster declaration and subsequent addition of counties affected by the storm: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rowan, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey. 

Read below for helpful resource information for impacted providers. For updates as they happen, read or subscribe to our Provider Communication Bulletin or join our Provider Touchpoint webinars.  

For general disaster information for network providers, visit our Emergency and Disaster webpage. For information to share with members and recipients, visit our Helene Recovery page on vayahealth.com. 

Financial Assistance for Vaya Health Providers

We recognize that you may be experiencing infrastructure challenges due to Hurricane Helene, and billable services may have been impacted.  Please call our Provider Support Service Line at 1-866-990-9712 if you have any questions about how to apply for assistance.   

As a standard business process, Vaya Health (Vaya) allows providers to request hardship payments if they encounter difficulties billing or getting paid by Vaya. The hardship payment is an advance payment from Vaya to address a situation in which the provider is experiencing a significant drop in claims payments due to issues beyond their control. A hardship payment is a loan that is offset by future claim payments to the provider. 

The recoupment process begins once the root causes of the disruption to claim payments are resolved and claims have paid correctly for 30 days without issue. Vaya’s customary process is to recoup 20% of each checkwrite until the hardship payment is repaid in full, leaving 80% of each checkwrite for the provider to maintain adequate cash flow. 

A hardship request should be considered when: 
  • You are not able to file claims due to circumstances you cannot control

  • You need payment in advance (a loan) until claims for work completed can be submitted.

  • The hardship would be recouped once billing is submitted at a later date.

If you believe you qualify for Hardship assistance, complete the Provider Hardship Advance Request Form and email it to provider.info@vayahealth.com.

This form of assistance is fundamentally different than hardship assistance. Providers may view it as a grant since they do not have to pay Vaya back for this type of financial support. See the Provider Stabilization Payment Request Form for more details.

A stabilization request should be considered when:
  • Your inability to see members has created an irreplaceable volume gap.

  • You incur additional expenses for the same services due to extenuating circumstances.
If you believe you qualify for Stabilization payments, complete the Provider Stabilization Payment Request Form and email it to provider.info@vayahealth.com.

Support for Small Business Recovery, Providers, Nonprofits

HCBS Retainer Payments for Hurricane-Impacted Direct Care Workers Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) providers may be eligible to receive retainer payments for employed direct care workers who are unable to deliver HCBS services under an active, approved service plan to one or more Medicaid beneficiaries due to the impact of Hurricane Helene. Review the Vaya memo for details.

Community Foundation of WNC Emergency and Disaster Response Fund

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina isoffering Emergency and Disaster Response Fund grants of up to $25,000 for eligible organizations providing emergency relief to those affected by Hurricane Helene in its 18-county service area. Grants are intended to cover costs of providing emergency relief services. Review program guidelines and apply online.

Golden LEAF Helene Response Grants

The Golden LEAF Foundation is offering grants for projects supporting immediate relief for individuals and families impacted by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, including home repair, unmet needs, and transitions out of housing programs supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Governmental entities and 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofits are eligible to apply. Funds may not be used to support businesses. Learn more and apply online.

U.S. Small Business Administration Assistance

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened a disaster relief assistance center at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, 36 Montford Ave. The center is focusing on providing low interest loans for businesses, nonprofits, homeowners, and renters impacted by the storm. Visit the SBA website for more information or visit an SBA representative in person at the Chamber of Commerce.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available for people affected by federally declared disasters, including job loss, injury, or inability to reach work due to the disaster. DUA is currently open for residents in multiple North Carolina counties affected by Hurricane Helene. Applications are due Dec. 9, 2024. Learn more on the NC Department of Commerce webpage.

Helpful Links

Getting Support and Giving Support

Donations: Many Vaya network providers were personally impacted by Hurricane Helene.  Vaya is collecting information to support the collection and distribution of donated items where needed. Please note that items available may change or vary.

NCDHHS to Expand Hope4NC Initiative

NCDHHS has announced $2.9 million in federal funding to help increase crisis counseling services for people impacted by Hurricane Helene. The funding is part of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program, which addresses behavioral health needs of disaster survivors.

North Carolina will use the funds to expand the state’s Hope4NC initiative to recruit, hire, and train crisis counselors, behavioral health therapists, and certified peer support specialists in the 25 counties declared major disaster areas following the storm. Currently, first responders and volunteers experiencing stress or a mental health crisis can call the 24/7 Hope4NC Helpline at 1-855-587-3463. The additional funding will expand the crisis response workforce to increase access to more people affected by the hurricane.

Need Help?

For information or technical assistance, call Vaya Health’s Provider Support Service Line at
1-866-990-9712
(Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.- 6 p.m.).