Attn: Rural Emergency Hospitals, Long-term Care Facilities, Inpatient Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Hospices, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, End-Stage Renal Disease, Intermediate Care Facilities for Intellectuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF-IID)
CMS issues QSO-23-11-LSC Categorical Waiver – Health Care Microgrid Systems
Memorandum Summary
On March 31, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued QSO-23-11-LSC (PDF). Various CMS regulations governing certain providers and certified suppliers require compliance with the 2012 edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Health Care Facilities Code (NFPA 99).
2012 edition of NFPA 99 requires emergency power for an essential electric system (EES) to be supplied by a generator or battery system.
2021 edition of the NFPA 99 permits emergency power for an EES to be supplied by sources other than a generator or battery system, including a health care microgrid system (HCMS).
HCMSs are small-scale electrical grids where the sources of electricity can be provided by clean energy technologies (e.g., fuel cells, solar, wind, energy storage, etc.).
Except as noted below, CMS is issuing a categorical waiver permitting new and existing health care facilities, subject to CMS requirements, to utilize alternate sources of power other than a generator set or battery system only if in accordance with the 2021 edition of the NFPA 99, 2023 edition of the National Electric Code (NFPA 70), and associated references.
The categorical waiver excludes long-term care (LTC) facilities that provide life support as the LTC requirements at 42 CFR 483.90(c)(2) requires these facilities to have an emergency generator without exception.
Questions
For questions or concerns relating to this memorandum, please contact QSOG_LifeSafetyCode@cms.hhs.gov.
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