Does your healthcare facility’s emergency plan include emerging infectious disease? If not, it needs to. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued an update/revision to its Emergency Preparedness Rule. The 17 types of facilities that must comply with the rule must now include Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) to the current definition of their “all-hazards” approach to emergency planning.

As such, planning for EIDs should include threats such as Ebola, Influenza, and the Zika Virus, among others.

Per CMS, “These EIDs may require modifications to facility protocols to protect the health and safety of patients, such as isolation and personal protective equipment (PPE) measures.”

This means changes may also be needed to your facility’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) or Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan. That is, if you want to keep it compliant with the ruling. Given the potential loss of Medicare and/or Medicaid reimbursements, that’s probably not a chance you can afford to take.

Online planning solutions tailored to CMS requirements can improve compliance and reduce risk. Contact BOLDplanning at 615.469.5558 or info@BOLDplanning.com today. Also, download the company’s White Paper, CMS Emergency Preparedness Final Rule: 10 Reasons Why You Need Online Planning Software for Better Compliance.