C.A.R.E.
Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency
We spent the last few blog posts discussing F-Tags. Let’s shift gears and look at E-Tags. The Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers was implemented November 15, 2017. This set of tags are utilized to cite non-compliance during initial, re-certification and complaint surveys.
The intent is for the Nursing Facility to have a planned response in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. Examples include earthquake, flood, hurricane or tornado. Cleary, the geographical location of the facility influences the propensity of certain risk areas. All of which need to be addressed in the facility assessment.
I recently attended the AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit in Baltimore, Maryland. NCAL offered the below summary of the most frequently cited E-tags:
Tag No. |
Tag Description |
No. Citations |
E-0035 |
LTC and ICF/IID Sharing Plan with Patients |
27 |
E-0001 |
Establishment of the Emergency Program (EP) |
22 |
E-0039 |
Emergency Prep Testing Requirements |
21 |
E-0024 |
Policies/Procedures Volunteers and Staffing |
19 |
E-0026 |
Roles Under a Waiver Declared by Secretary |
19 |
E-0009 |
Local, State, Tribal Collaboration Process |
15 |
E-0018 |
Procedures for Tracking of Staff and Patients |
15 |
E-0037 |
Emergency Prep Training Program |
15 |
E-0029 |
Development of Communication Plan |
14 |
E-0013 |
Development of EP Policies and Procedures |
13 |
E-0015 |
Subsistence Needs for Staff and Patients |
13 |
E-0031 |
Emergency Officials Contact Information |
13 |
Source: NCAL
There are approximately 27 different E-tags that facilitates can be cited under related to their emergency preparedness programs. The below table offer you a glance at the different categories the E-tags are placed.
E-Tags for Long-Term Care Facility
Emergency Preparedness Plans
Establishing a Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness Program |
Emergency Preparedness Policies & Procedures |
Emergency Preparedness Communication Plan |
Emergency Preparedness Training & Testing |
Emergency & Standby |
E-0001 E-0004 E-0006 E-0007 E-0009 |
E-0013 E-0015 E-0018 E-0019 E-0020 E-0022 E-0023 E-0024 E-0025 E-0026 |
E-0029 E-0030 E-0031 E-0032 E-0033 E-0034 E-0035 |
E-0036 E-0037 E-0039 |
E-0041 E-0042 |
Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) is here to help. We understand how much work is involved for you and your staff to run an efficient, compliant, and fiscally sound facility.
Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) can:
- Identify areas of risk and opportunity
- Education on rules and regulations
- Implement Systems (QAPI)
- Monitor progress and performance
Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) performs monthly compliance audits. If you need help with this area, please contact us by clicking here. Looking to train your staff? Join us in person at one of our our upcoming Competency/Certification Courses. Click here to see the dates and locations.