Accreditation Solutions
Accreditation is a key asset for providers; we round up some of the services available to them.
Accreditation continues to play a vital role in the home medical equipment industry. In addition to needing to establish or renew accreditation in order to bill Medicare, providers have a number of reasons why accreditation plays a regular role in their daily lives.
Medicare accreditation compounds a provider’s reputation with referral partners and satisfaction from patients. It shows accredited HME providers are a partner in patient care and optimizing outcomes, and having an accrediting organization confirm that a provider meets Medicare’s standards in that regard gives the provider a competitive edge.
Ultimately, Medicare accreditation has morphed into a bit of a Gold Standard. Now even private payer insurers and health plans seek out HME providers that have Medicare accreditation. Bearing that in mind, accrediting organizations are working to increase accreditation’s market cachet.
Also, accrediting organizations are starting to offer specialized accreditation designations to further help HME providers demonstrate to referral partners and patients that they are an expert in their community when it comes to medical equipment and that they possess deep product knowledge as it pertains to their care.
These specialized accreditation distinctions take the Medicare accreditation for a specific category and “turn it up to eleven.” The standards for these programs are robust and put providers through their paces, but once a specialized accreditation is achieved, the recipient can use it to say it is the best of the best. If accreditation is a Gold Standard, then specialized accreditation would be the Platinum Standard. Let’s look at some current accreditation services available to providers:
Program helps respiratory providers differentiate
Patient-Centered Respiratory Home
- Designation highlights the role of respiratory HME as the “go to” provider for respiratory care management.
- The program enhances patient management practices through concise measures that cover care planning, provider coordination and communication between respiratory specialists and prescribers.
- The only designation that recognizes respiratory HMEs for their expertise in care coordination for the medical community.
The Compliance Team
(215) 654-9110
thecomplianceteam.org
Flexible Standards and Experienced Site Inspectors
CHAP Accreditation
- CHAP has created accreditation Standards of Excellence for HME which reflect state and federal laws, as well as best practices in the industry.
- CHAP standards provide guidance and structure, and are flexible to accommodate many business models.
- The standards detail all the necessary requirements and components of policies and procedures.
The Community Health Accreditation Program, Inc. (CHAP)
(202) 862-3413
chapinc.org
Accreditation Commission for Health Care reinvents program
HealthTrainU
- Learning management system improves the education experience for healthcare providers, as they prepare for and maintain their accreditation and licensure.
- Enhancements will be made over the next few months to better serve other healthcare professionals.
- Formally known as MED U.
Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC)
(855) 937-2242
achc.info/healthtrainupr
Faster program helps providers save time, money
Expedited Accreditation Option
- This service provides a CMS-compliant opportunity to begin serving Medicare patients sooner while ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements.
- Expedited service guarantees a visit from a surveyor within 10 business days.
- BOC’s customer service ensures providers receive step-by-step, expert guidance throughout the entire process.
Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC)
(877) 776-2200
www.bocusa.org
Full-line and limited DMEPOS accreditation options
DMEPOS Accreditation
- Web-based process is intuitive and individualized, with each customer is assigned an accreditation coach to ensure that no one walks through the process alone.
- Limited DMEPOS and full-line DMEPOS accreditation program is tailored specifically to client needs.
- Once accredited, customers are provided with tools to ensure that they stay informed about changes in requirements.
Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA)
(866) 909-4722
www.hqaa.org
Helping HMEs make themselves the ‘partner of choice’
Accreditation for DMEPOS
- Process-oriented standards focus on operational areas that critically impact the safety and quality of DMEPOS services.
- Proactively manages critical risks and enhances operational consistency.
- Helps gain access to managed care contracting opportunities.
The Joint Commission – Home Care Accreditation
(630) 792-5070
www.jointcommission.org/homecare
This article originally appeared in the Aug/Sep 2019 issue of HME Business.