Access the on-demand version of this webinar here or access the full series here.

PART IV

When developing its Emergency Preparedness Rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) recognized that longterm care facilities face distinct challenges in keeping patients safe before, during and after disasters.  Compliance with the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule, in effect since 2017, includes requirements to conduct risk assessments designed to identify hazards likely to affect individual organizations and the communities where they are located; develop, implement and update the organization’s emergency management plan, policies and procedures; establish a written communication plan; and train employees and test the emergency management plan.  This webinar will provide attendees with an overview of these compliance requirements along with strategies for maintaining and documenting compliance.  We will also provide updates on the regulatory requirements (recent and proposed changes), survey results and relevant resources. 

Series Description

The regulatory landscape for providers of post-acute care has changed dramatically in recent months. New requirements of participation for longterm care facilities, promulgated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2016, have been implemented in three phases, with the last and arguably most significant set of changes implemented in November 2019. On October 1, 2019, and January 1, 2020, respectively, CMS implemented new “patient-driven” Medicare payment methodologies for skilled nursing facility services (SNF) and for home health services.

This series of four sixty-minute webinars will provide information and guidance to post-acute care providers on emerging topics relating to the revised requirements of participation and Medicare payment methodologies. Three of the webinars will focus on provider policies that will be under increased scrutiny as a result of the revised requirements of participation: compliance and ethics programs, emergency preparedness plans, and policies and procedures related to patient/resident privacy and information. One webinar will provide an overview of the Patient-Driven Payment Methodology (PDPM) for SNF services and the Patient-Driven Groupings Methodology (PDGM) for home health services, as well as identifying key compliance risks associated with the implementation of these methodologies. Each webinar will provide practical advice on how longterm care facilities and other post-acute care providers can most effectively develop and implement policies to respond to the new or revised requirements, and to strengthen the patient experience and patient care.