Post Date: September 16, 2016

On September 8, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Final Rule to address gaps in the current Medicare and Medicaid emergency preparedness regulations for providers and suppliers.

The Final Rule dictates that Medicare and Medicaid providers and suppliers are now required to meet common emergency best practice standards in order to continue to participate in these programs. They will need to:

• Develop an emergency preparedness plan,
• Train personnel; and
• Conduct emergency preparedness drills twice a year.

In addition, a communications plan will need to be developed that ensures communication with other healthcare providers as well as state and local health departments during and after an emergency.

Compliance with the Final Rule is mandatory for Medicare and Medicaid providers to continue to participate in the federal programs.

For more information, read our recent blog.