In 2016, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a final rule requiring health care providers to develop Emergency Preparedness Plans and establish new Conditions of Participation (CoPs). CMS has updated the Emergency Preparedness standards to establish more consistent planning,
coordination, and response to both natural and man-made disasters. Updates are a direct response to hard lessons learned and lives lost during disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.
The update applies to 17 facility types and requires the following components:
• Risk Assessment and Emergency Planning
• Policies and Procedures
• Communications Plan
• Training and Testing
• Emergency Standby & Power Systems
CMS has indicated there will be no exceptions for conformance during survey process. Failure to comply
with CoPs will result in loss of CMS Funding.