The September 16, 2016 Federal Register will include the long-awaited emergency preparedness rule for healthcare providers and suppliers, including long term care, home health agencies, PACE programs and others. The updated regulation identifies four key elements of emergency preparedness programs while allowing providers the flexibility to design their plans based on their unique facility-based and community-based risk assessment. The four elements are:
- Risk assessment and emergency planning
- Policies and procedures
- Communication Plan
- Training and testing
The regulation goes into effect on November 15, 2016. Providers and suppliers will have one year to comply with this regulation, which will be on November 15, 2017.
View a pdf of the Final Rule “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers.”
Keep checking the CMSCG Blog for details on how you can get prepared for an emergency. Need help with updating your emergency preparedness plan or testing? CMS Compliance Group’s consultants can help. Contact us today to learn about our emergency planning services for post-acute and long term care providers.
