On April 16, 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule that would amend fire safety standards applicable to the following types of Medicare- and Medicaid-participating health care facilities: hospitals, critical access hospitals, long-term care facilities (skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, and distinct part skilled nursing facilities or nursing facilities), intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, ambulatory surgery centers, hospices that provide inpatient services, religious nonmedical health care institutions, and programs of all-inclusive care for the elderly facilities. As part of the rulemaking, CMS intends to adopt the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 2012 editions of the Life Safety Code (LSC) and the Health Care Facilities Code (HCFC). CMS notes in a press release that this change “would reduce burden on health care providers, as the 2012 edition of the LSC also is aligned with the international building codes and would make compliance across codes much simpler for Medicare and Medicaid-participating facilities.” Among other things, the LSC requires that all existing high-rise buildings containing health care occupancies be protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system. CMS estimates the total cost of implementation of the rule will be $119.6 million, although the costs associated with installing sprinklers in high rise health care facilities would be distributed over a 12-year phase-in period. Comments will be accepted until June 16, 2014.