Accreditation
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.
A prime example is that, as competitive bidding and consolidation impact the industry, there are many cases in which a provider will expand into a new product category. With that category comes a variety of requirements: the provider will need to add product, expertise, perhaps news staff, and perhaps even new certifications to the staff. Also the provider will need to add billing for those items to its workflow and other back office functions. And, above all, that provider will need to get accredited in this new line of business — otherwise the provider won’t be able to bill Medicare.
And of course, the provider must continue to work within the accreditation guidelines so that it will maintain that accreditation and be able to easily renew with its accrediting organization (AOs). Suffice it to say that accreditation is an ongoing effort, but it is also a key business tool. Accreditation implements the policies and procedures that will ensure a provider if filing clean claims and that it adheres to solid care guidelines. Those are both attractive to referral partners. Let’s look at some of the AOs.
Compliance Team
Exemplary Provider Accreditation
Operations-based accreditation process shows payers your benefits
Payers want to see the benefits to using your services. That’s why The Compliance Team’s Medicare-approved Exemplary Provider accreditation is such a big deal. Our operations-based accreditation process has proven itself with thousands of providers and payer sources since 1998. Easily customized to fit any care delivery model, our operations-based accreditation process helps establish daily business routines that produce measurable patient care benefits. That’s something that gets payers really excited.
Board of Certification/Accreditation International (BOC)
BOC Mastectomy Fitter
Become a BOC Mastectomy Fitter
Founded in 1984, the Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) is a non-profit agency
dedicated to meeting the demands for quality patient care by offering credentials for
professional suppliers of comprehensive orthotic and prothetic care and durable medial
equipment services. Trained and certified mastectomy fitters are integral to the physical
and emotional well-being of patients. BOC Mastectomy Fitter (CMF) certification assures
the public of an enhanced commitment to patient care and compliance. EW members
save 10 percent on Mastectomy Fitter certification.
American Board for Certification in Orthotics & Prosthetics, Inc.
Mastectomy Fitter Certification
ABC Offers Mastectomy Fitter Certification
The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics, Inc.
(ABC) is a credentialing board for the orthotics and prosthetics profession and has
more than 14,000 certified individuals and over 6,000 accredited facilities. ABC’s
orthotic and mastectomy fitter certification prepares individuals for direct
patient care. ABC’s facility accreditation program is recognized by the
CMS, Veteran’s Administration, major healthcare insurance providers
and HMOs throughout the United States as a leader in orthotics and
prosthetics accreditation.
Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA)
Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA)
Simplified Services Includes Coaching
- Web-based process is intuitive, helpful and individualized, and each customer is assigned an accreditation coach to insure that no one walks through the process alone.
- “Bite-size” approach lets customers create their policy and procedure manual in small steps, which simplifies the process.
- Once accredited, customers are provided with tools to ensure that they stay informed about changes in requirements, plus a system to keep materials and records updated.
Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP)
Community Health Accreditation Program
Flexible Standards and Experienced Site Inspectors
- CHAP has created accreditation Standards of Excellence for HME which reflect state and federal laws, and the latest best practice information in the industry, as well as Medicare Supplier and Quality Standards.
- CHAP standards provide guidance and structure, and are flexible to accommodate many business models. The standards detail necessary requirements and components of policies and procedures.
- CHAP’s site visitors have at least five years middle-senior management experience in the service line in which they perform Site Visits, and maintain a current license in their home state. Site Visitors receive ongoing training and development.
Board of Certification/Accreditation International (BOC)
Board of Certification/Accreditation International (BOC)
One-on-One Guidance from Experts
- Accreditation process includes step-by-step instructions for the entire accreditation process with BOC’s Accreditation Survival Guide.
- Accreditation experts provide one-on-one assistance, answering client questions and provide detailed guidance.
- Expert advice from our facility surveyors — many of whom have experience as DMEPOS providers — on regulations that may affect providers.
Accreditation Commission for Health Care
Accreditation Commission for Health Care Inc.
New Online Offering Provides Centralized Resource for Providers
- Accreditation University (AU), a division of Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), has launched its official website, accreditationuniversity.com, which provides a central site for clients to view, research, and purchase AU products to prepare for ACHC Accreditation.
- The ISO 9001:2000 certified organization includes seven accrediting programs: DMEPOS, pharmacy, sleep, home health, hospice and behavioral health.
- Features a “checklist for success” workbook, which takes organizations step by step through each of ACHC’s standards and accreditation process. The workbook is designed for both new and existing agencies and will include best practices, survey tips and various tools to maintain compliance.
The Joint Commission
The Joint Commission
Standards that Focus on Operational Quality and Safety
- Process-oriented standards focus on operational areas that critically impact the safety and quality of DMEPOS services including: equipment management, staff competency, and infection control.
- During the onsite visit, our surveyors determine standards compliance using an interactive “tracer” process that enables the management team to see the strengths and weaknesses of their processes in real time under typical business conditions.
- Resources include free online information and checklists; free webinars; a specially trained Account Executive devoted to customer needs; and a help desk staffed with DME industry experts to answer your standards-related questions.
Compliance Team
The Compliance Team
Customized, Simplified Accreditation
- Product-line and service-specific, three-year-cycle accreditation programs feature plain language quality standards in addition to including expert mentoring, manuals, self-assessment checklists, corporate compliance/anti-fraud plans, and electronic patient outcomes benchmarking.
- Exemplary Provider programs are structured to dramatically simplify the accreditation process, with each program custom fitted to a provider’s exact accreditation needs.
- TCT’s broad range of industry-related accreditation services include DMEPOS, pharmacy services, infusion, sterile & non-sterile compounding, long term care, and sleep care management.