Home health accreditor gets 6-year CMS rubber stamp
Published Date: 2/21/2025
Notice
Summary
The government has given the green light for the Accreditation Commission for Health Care Inc. (ACHC) to keep approving home health agencies that want to join Medicare or Medicaid. This means ACHC can keep making sure these agencies meet all the rules from February 24, 2025, through February 24, 2031. Home health agencies using ACHC’s stamp of approval can continue serving patients without extra state surveys, saving time and hassle.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
ACHC Approved to Deem HHAs for Medicare
If you run a home health agency (HHA), the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. (ACHC) is approved to continue as a national accrediting organization from February 24, 2025 through February 24, 2031. HHAs accredited under ACHC’s approved program can be "deemed" to meet Medicare requirements instead of being certified by a state survey agency, allowing them to seek participation in Medicare or Medicaid through ACHC accreditation.
ACHC Standards Updated to Match Medicare Rules
CMS found that ACHC revised its HHA standards and survey processes to align with Medicare requirements, including meeting the personnel qualifications requirement at 42 CFR 484.115 and using survey guidance comparable to the State Operations Manual Appendix Q for Immediate Jeopardy templates. This means ACHC-accredited HHAs are held to standards and survey practices comparable to Medicare rules.
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