On September 8, 2016 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established national emergency preparedness requirements for all health care providers and suppliers that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs, the nation’s largest insurer. They did this to ensure that health care providers and suppliers are adequately prepared for natural and man-made disasters, and this includes coordinating with federal, state, tribal, regional and local emergency preparedness systems.
Providers and suppliers that wish to participate in Medicare and Medicaid must demonstrate they meet the emergency preparedness requirements. For Medicaid-only facilities (other than ICF-IIDs and PRTFs), the Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing determines whether you are required to meet the Emergency Preparedness requirements.
If you have questions as to whether your healthcare facility is required to comply with the final rule, please refer to the list below.
1. Hospitals
2. Religious Nonmedical Health Care Institutions (RNHCIs)
3. Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs)
4. Hospices
5. Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs)
6. All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
7. Transplant Centers
8. Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities
9. Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID)
10. Home Health Agencies (HHAs)
11. Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (CORFs)
12. Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)
13. Clinics, Rehabilitation Agencies, and Public Health Agencies as Providers of Outpatient
Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology Services
14. Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs)
15. Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs)
16. Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
17. End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Facilities
Additionally, please contact your specific facility CFO, CEO, human resource staff, etc. to determine what Medicare certified provider number you are associated/certified under, which will determine which requirements you need to comply with. For Medicaid-only facilities (other than ICF-IIDs and PRTFs), the Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing determines whether you are required to meet the Emergency Preparedness requirements.
CMS Resources
State Operations Manual - updated March 26, 202 - Appendix Z- Emergency Preparedness Rule Interpretive Guidance for All Provider and Certified Suppliers. Updated to explain each requirement in more detail, how you can meet the requirement, and how inspectors may determine your compliance. In light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency (PHE), CMS expanded on best practices, lessons learned, and planning considerations for emerging infectious diseases.
Emergency Preparedness Basic Training, is a 17-hour online course. CMS Online Training for the Emergency Preparedness regulations, offers BOTH surveyor and providers the same training on the EP regulations. This training intends to develop your proficiency with conducting EP surveys and to build your understanding of the way the EP regulations overlap across multiple provider types.
Emergency Preparedness Provider Readiness is a 90-minute recorded webinar for providers. It is an overview of the Emergency Preparedness Final Rule and what CMS has seen, as well as an overview of the 1135 Waiver Process. The webinar also provides best practices and lessons learned from recent events and resources available.
CMS Emergency Response Operations. Get information about current emergencies and how CMS can help you now. Learn about CMS responses to Coronavirus, hurricanes, wildfires, cyber-attacks and find the latest program guidance.