Recently, the final rule Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers was published in the Federal Register. While the rule goes into effect on November 16, 2016, health care providers and suppliers who are affected by this rule will have until November 16, 2017 to comply and implement all regulations included in the Final Rule.
The purpose of the Final Rule is "to establish national emergency preparedness requirements to ensure adequate planning for both natural and man-made disasters, and coordination with federal, state, tribal, regional and local emergency preparedness systems."
Providers and Suppliers impacted by the Final Rule
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Providers/Suppliers Facilities Impacted by the Emergency Preparedness Rule includes:
- Hospitals
- Religious Nonmedical Healthcare Institutions (RNHCIs)
- Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs)
- Hospices
- Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs)
- All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
- Transplant Centers
- Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities
- Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID)
- Home Health Agencies (HHAs)
- Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (CORFs)
- Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)
- Clinics, Rehabilitation Agencies, and Public Health Agencies as Providers of Outpatient Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology Services
- Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs)
- Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs)
- Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
- End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Facilities
Further, according to Nicole Lurie, M.D., M.S.P.H., Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
CMS issued this new rule to create a consistent foundation of emergency preparedness across the health care system, ensuring that providers across the spectrum are better positioned to respond to disasters and to ensure continuity of care for some of our most at-risk populations.
These providers include home health services, dialysis centers, long-term care facilities, community mental health centers, rural health clinics, intermediate care facilities for people with intellectual disabilities, critical-access hospitals, and others which together care for many millions of people across our nation.
Does the Emergency Preparedness Final Rule apply to your facility?
CMS published requirements for certain Providers/Suppliers Facilities Impacted by the Emergency Preparedness Rule. The Final Rule will require impacted providers and supplier to meet four common standards: Emergency Plan; Policies and Procedures; Communication Plan; Training and testing plan.
If you are one of the 17 Providers/Suppliers Facilities Impacted by the Emergency Preparedness Rule, click on the following link to access Emergency Preparedness Requirements by Provider Type.
Did you know?
While all provides and office providers are not impacted by the final rule, Emergency Response and Preparedness is an OSHA requirement. To help organizations comply with OSHA requirements, we have included a General Emergency Evacuation Plan in our OSHA module. Additionally, we have developed a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) module to help organizations be prepared in the event of a disaster natural or otherwise.
If you would like more information or have questions please do not hesitate to contact us by phone 855-427-0427 or by email [email protected].