Revisions in the Final Rule include:

• CMS removed the requirements for facilities to document efforts to contact local, tribal, regional, State, and Federal emergency preparedness officials, and for facilities to document their participation in collaborative and cooperative planning efforts.
• CMS revised cycles for review and updates requirements to the emergency preparedness program. Specifically, all applicable providers and suppliers review their emergency program biennially, except for Long Term Care (LTC) facilities, which will still be required to review their emergency program annually.
• Emergency Preparedness Testing Exemption and Guidance – CMS regulations for Emergency Preparedness require specific testing exercises be conducted to validate the facility’s emergency program. During or after an actual emergency, the regulations allow for an exemption to the testing requirements based on real world actions taken by providers and suppliers.
• The worksheet presents guidance for surveyors, as well as providers and suppliers, with relevant scenarios on meeting the testing requirements in light of many of the response activities associated with the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE).

QSO-20-41-ALL (PDF)

Questions?

Contact:

Laura Hofmann, MSN, RN – Director of Clinical and Nursing Facility Regulatory Services
c: 425-231-4804