Comments on New CMS Emergency Preparedness Standards Due by February 25

On December 27, 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed new emergency preparedness standards as conditions of participation in Medicare and Medicaid. The proposed standards would apply to hospitals, long-term care facilities (LTCs), ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), and other health facilities and suppliers. Comments on the proposed standards are due by 5:00 p.m. EST on February 25, 2014.

The proposed regulations reflect CMS's concern that existing standards may be inadequate to meet the complexities of emergencies caused by natural disasters and other catastrophic situations. No doubt the well-publicized hurricanes, tornadoes and other "super storms" of recent years have fueled this concern.

The proposed standards differ according to facility and supplier category (e.g., hospital, LTC, ASC). In general, though, they mandate in detail four basic elements of emergency preparedness: risk assessment and planning, policies and procedures, communication plans, and training and testing. The latter category would require educational sessions, drills and mock alerts.

The full text of the proposed regulations may be found at 78 Federal Register 79081 (Dec. 27, 2013). Instructions for commenting are shown on page 79082.