ASCA: CMS makes minor changes to Emergency Preparedness requirements for ASCs

Editor's Note

The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) on February 26 announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Memorandum Summary with updates to Appendix Z of the State Operations Manual, which outlines the Emergency Preparedness requirements for CMS providers and suppliers.

The primary change that affects ASCs is the addition of “emerging infectious diseases” to the current definition of all-hazards approach. Because of the emergence of Ebola Virus and Zika, CMS believes facilities should plan for infectious diseases within their emergency preparedness programs, ASCA says.