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Emergency Preparedness Planning Toolkit

Emergency Preparedness Planning

Toolkit

Emergencies like natural disasters or public health crises can strike at any time and often create opportunities for Medicare fraud. It’s essential that Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP), and Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) programs are prepared to continue operations when beneficiaries are most vulnerable.

The Emergency Preparedness Planning Toolkit, developed by RTI International for the Administration for Community Living (ACL), provides a structured six-step process to help programs build a clear, actionable emergency preparedness plan. The toolkit includes practical guidance, tools, and customizable templates to help programs create a plan tailored to their community’s needs. It equips teams to protect their operations, provide reliable support to beneficiaries, and communicate effectively about emerging fraud risks. It also helps teams adapt to changing circumstances while prioritizing their own well-being throughout the process.

This toolkit was developed through SMP funding; although some language is tailored to SMP grantees, the information throughout is applicable to SHIP, MIPPA, and other aging network grantees or aging services programs. The Word communications templates are designed to be updated with grantee- and program-specific language and logos.

Core Toolkit

The Emergency Preparedness Planning Toolkit walks teams through a six-step process to plan for emergencies.

  1. Assess your community’s risks: Understand potential hazards and gaps in your community so you can make informed decisions.
  2. Grow your partner network: Build and sustain relationships with local organizations that can help you provide essential services.
  3. Identify resources for emotional support: Understand how you can take care of beneficiaries and yourself during periods of heightened stress.
  4. Plan for communication and outreach: Learn communication protocols and use customizable outreach materials to get crucial information out to the public.
  5. Create an emergency preparedness plan: Learn the key elements of an emergency preparedness plan and see examples of plans you can build on.
  6. Train your team to implement the plan: Get training materials and resources to align staff around implementing the plan.

Tools and Templates

The Tools and Templates Appendix includes several fillable worksheets to help programs take practical steps to develop their emergency preparedness plan.

  • Risk assessment tool to document potential hazards, vulnerabilities, gaps, and resources.
  • Partner contact list and sample agenda to improve coordination with other organizations that serve older adults.
  • Mental health resource matrix to identify and catalogue mental health and emotional support resources.
  • Communication protocol to plan for how you will communicate to key audiences about Medicare fraud risks.
  • Delegation of authority worksheet to determine team roles and responsibilities during emergencies.
  • Emergency preparedness plan template to fill out the key components of your SMP’s plan.
  • Coming Soon! Training resources to help train your SMP team to plan for emergencies.

Outreach Materials

The Outreach Materials Templates include sample materials that programs can use and customize to help beneficiaries and families protect themselves from Medicare fraud during emergencies.