Emergency Preparedness Rule for Home Care and Hospice

Course overview

On November 15, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services implemented new emergency preparedness requirements as a condition of participating in the Medicare program. This new rule affects 17 provider types, including home health and hospice. The new requirements are divided into four core elements, including (1) risk assessment and emergency plan, (2) policies and procedures, (3) communication plan, and (4) training and testing. As a team member, each of us has a role to play in assuring patient and team member safety, and in meeting this new rule. This course reviews the new Emergency Preparedness requirement, the four core elements, and the individual responsibilities of team members in an emergency.