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130 CMR 403.419 - Home Health Agency: Provider Responsibilities (Written Policies and Procedures, incl. Emergencies and Emergency Plans)

MassachusettsregulationMassHealth (Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Office of Medicaid)· effective 2022-07-01

What this rule requires your agency to do

  • 1The agency must develop and maintain written policies and procedures governing emergency services and emergency plans. (130 CMR 403.419(A)(1)(n))(130 CMR 403.419 - Home Health Agency: Provider Responsibilities (Written Policies and Procedures, incl. Emergencies and Emergency Plans))
  • 2The agency must develop and maintain written policies and procedures addressing emergencies including fire, safety, and disasters, including notifying the fire department and police in emergencies. (130 CMR 403.419(A)(1)(f))(130 CMR 403.419 - Home Health Agency: Provider Responsibilities (Written Policies and Procedures, incl. Emergencies and Emergency Plans))
  • 3The agency must maintain policies and procedures for incident and accident reporting. (130 CMR 403.419(A)(1)(i))(130 CMR 403.419 - Home Health Agency: Provider Responsibilities (Written Policies and Procedures, incl. Emergencies and Emergency Plans))
  • 4The agency must maintain policies and procedures for backup staff in the event coverage is required due to illness, vacation, or other reasons, so that member care continues during staffing disruptions. (130 CMR 403.419(A)(1)(c))(130 CMR 403.419 - Home Health Agency: Provider Responsibilities (Written Policies and Procedures, incl. Emergencies and Emergency Plans))

Applies to: home health / home care agencies delivering services in members' homes

Massachusetts MassHealth regulations for home health agencies (130 CMR 403.000, effective 07/01/2022) require each participating home health agency to develop and maintain written administrative policies and procedures that specifically include emergency management. Section 403.419(A)(1) enumerates required policy topics, among them handling of emergencies (fire, safety, and disasters) with notification of fire and police, and separately "emergency services and plans," as well as backup staffing coverage and incident/accident reporting. This is the operative MA state-level regulatory hook for home-care emergency preparedness (Massachusetts does not separately DPH-license non-hospice home health agencies; emergency-prep obligations flow through the MassHealth provider regulation and, for Medicare-certified agencies, federal 42 CFR 484.102).

Regulatory information, not legal advice — always confirm against the cited official source. Verification reduces error; it does not certify compliance.