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CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule

The CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) has published a emergency preparedness rule for health providers participating in Medicare and Medicaid. This rule allows facilities to establish and maintain consistent emergency preparedness policies and procedures in order to increase patient safety during emergencies. This rule will establish a better coordinated response to any natural or human-caused disasters.

Wisconsin has over 1,200 providers across the state that will be affected by the new rule.

The Department of Health Services also has a recorded overview presentation: CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule.

Slides are available (PDF).

Spotlight resource

New toolkits for CMS Preparedness Rule

The Department of Health Services is creating toolkits to assist the providers affected by the new rule. Each of these toolkits gives facilities that fall under the new rule an overview of the requirements for their provider type, as well as some sample templates in a workbook that can be used in their planning efforts.

View the CMS Preparedness Rule Toolkits

Below are some frequently asked questions on the rule.

  • Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)
  • Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs)
  • Clinics, Rehabilitation Agencies, and Public Health Agencies as Providers of Outpatient, Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology Services
  • Hospitals
  • Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs)
  • Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID)
  • Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (CORFs)
  • Long-Term Care (LTC)
  • End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Facilities
  • Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs)
  • Home Health Agencies (HHAs)
  • Religious Nonmedical Health Care Institutions (RNHCIs)
  • Hospices
  • Transplant Centers
  • Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs)
  • Programs of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
  • Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)

 

To find the providers affected in your neighborhood, view the Division of Quality Assurance provider search.

Division of Public Health

The Department of Health Services is creating toolkits to assist the providers affected by the new rule. Each of these toolkits gives facilities that fall under the new rule an overview of the requirements for their provider type, as well as some sample templates in a workbook that can be used in their planning efforts.

Division of Quality Assurance

CMS

Office of Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR)

Disclaimer: Any information provided by the Office of Preparedness and Emergency Health Care, any of Wisconsin’s emergency healthcare coalitions, or their staff regarding the new CMS emergency preparedness rule is intended for advisory purposes only. None of the tools or assistance provided guarantee any outcome during facility survey visits. Facilities are solely responsible for meeting CMS requirements.

Questions? Contact your regional health care coalition coordinator.

Last revised July 11, 2023