Tag: Accreditation
New accreditation cycle raises costs, burdens
June 5, 2026Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine – Home medical equipment (HME) providers who are preparing for resurvey and reaccreditation say CMS's move to an annual requirement adds significant administrative burden with little perceived benefit.
Providers push back on annual requirement
As part of its final rule on the competitive bidding program, CMS began requiring all providers to undergo annual reaccreditation starting Jan. 1, 2026 – a shift from the previous three-year cycle.
Providers say...
Accreditation: Moving forward during the moratorium
April 13, 2026Sandra Canally
Q. What are alternative revenue paths for new providers?
A. If you were planning to launch a DMEPOS business this year, the new CMS moratorium may feel like a door slamming in your face. On February 27, 2026, the agency initiated a six-month nationwide moratorium on new Medicare enrollment and Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN) issuance for DMEPOS suppliers.
But Medicare isn’t the only doorway to revenue for your new business. You can still get accredited by a CMS-approved accreditation...
Accreditation: Accreditation yesterday doesn't ensure reaccreditation today
March 16, 2026Sandra Canally
Q. What are the top deficiencies among reaccrediting providers?
A. If you’ve been an accredited DMEPOS provider for years, you’ve probably grown accustomed to a certain reaccreditation process. But Jan. 1, 2026, changed the rules – for everyone.
Under the CMS final rule, 100% compliance is required on all standards. What may have not been a deficiency last accreditation period, may be cause for denial or revocation this time around.
We’ve identified the top deficiencies...
Accreditation: Prevent avoidable denials
February 17, 2026Sandra Canally
Q. How can I protect my business accreditation from being denied or revoked in the new era of 100% compliance?
A. When CMS overhauled the DMEPOS accreditation process, the agency reinforced the mandatory 100% compliance with all standards supplied by their accreditation organization (AO). Every standard must be met at the time of your onsite survey. No exceptions. If not, and depending on the infraction, a corrective action plan...
HQAA names new executive director
February 2, 2026HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa – The Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA) has announced that Executive Director Rhonda Pearce is retiring and will be replaced by Craig Douglas. Pearce joined HQAA in 2005 and has been the organization’s executive director since 2016. During her leadership, she further developed and modernized HQAA’s programs and contributed time and resources to better the surrounding community. “We would like to thank...
ACHC releases white paper on impact of accreditation on care
January 28, 2026HME News Staff
CARY, N.C. – The Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) has released a new white paper detailing findings from a successful three-year, state-funded pilot program that evaluated the impact of accreditation on adult care homes and assisted living communities in North Carolina. The company says the pilot represents a comprehensive evaluation of accreditation in adult care settings and reinforces that its accreditation helps build safer,...
Accreditation: Get ready for the knock
January 14, 2026Sandra Canally
Q. How can an HME/DME provider best prepare for the new accreditation changes?
A. The DMEPOS/Home Health Final Rule from CMS represents substantial changes in the accreditation process for HME/DME providers who bill through Medicare/Medicaid.
Of those changes, none may be more significant than the switch to annual onsite surveys. While annual surveys are creating the most...
AOs work to accommodate providers looking to make switch
January 14, 2026Liz Beaulieu, Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine – Accrediting organizations (AOs) say the situation between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Board of Certification/ Accreditation (BOC) is adding “another layer of complexity” to a major new requirement.
On Dec. 2, about one month before an annual resurvey and reaccreditation requirement went into effect on Jan. 1, CMS removed BOC from its list of approved AOs, leaving...
AOs process changes amid accreditation’s new normal
January 9, 2026Liz Beaulieu, Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine – Accrediting organizations (AOs) have some breathing room thanks to a decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to phase in its new policy requiring annual resurvey and reaccreditation for DMEPOS providers.
In a provision summary following a Nov. 28 final rule, CMS clarified that a provider’s annual resurvey and reaccreditation cycle will not begin until the expiration of its current three-year cycle, if issued prior to Jan. 1,...
CHAP looks to Safley to help DME providers navigate regulatory changes
January 6, 2026HME News Staff
ARLINGTON, Va. - Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) has appointed Timothy Safley, MBA, RRT, as strategic advisor for its durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) program. He will help CHAP advance practical, non-prescriptive standards that strengthen compliance, while supporting real-world operations in DMEPOS and adjacent service lines, the company says. He will also support CHAP’s education roadmap, simplifying self-evaluation...