Tag: Accreditation

Q. As a provider approved by Medicare, am I obligated to offer rental equipment to Medicare beneficiaries?   A. Medicare Supplier Standard 5 states that the supplier advises beneficiaries that they may either rent or purchase inexpensive or routinely purchased durable medical equipment, and of the purchase option for capped rental durable medical equipment, as defined in §414.220(a) of this subchapter. (The supplier must provide, upon request, documentation that it has provided...

Q. What steps can my company take to safeguard reimbursement for products sold or rented to Medicare patients?   A. You may be receiving payment from a variety of sources including Medicare Part B and private payers. Your accreditation organization (AO) has a role to play because CMS requires that AOs verify the products you are supplying to patients and that you meet the requirements to supply those products. This may include the use of credentialed personnel, state licensure or other...

DMEPOS providers often view the accreditation renewal process as a daunting, time consuming and stress-inducing process—but it doesn’t have to be. While accreditation is essential to maintaining compliance with CMS and ensuring that businesses have a “patient safety first” mindset, providers can flip their mindset to view it as an opportunity to improve and evaluate their strategy.  Here are three recommendations for DMEPOS providers approaching their three-year cycle...

HARTFORD, Conn. - CareCentrix has achieved Accreditation in Utilization Management from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). This accreditation focuses on consumer protection and improvement in service to customers. It recognizes that organizations have open access networks and can improve service quality and utilize customized structures to meet purchaser needs. “CareCentrix is committed to coordinating the right patient care at the right time from hospital to home, and we’re...

DALLAS – Enhabit, Inc., a provider of hospice and home health services, has been awarded the Age-Friendly Care at Home Certification from Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) for its home health agencies in Petersburg, Virginia, and Clermont, Florida. The CHAP certification program brings Age-Friendly Health Systems, an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA)...

Q. I am preparing for an accreditation site visit. What areas should I focus on?  A. This question is asked often when organizations are preparing for surveys. Organizations need to be certain that all the required licenses are up to date and displayed as required. Licenses you may need include state, local city and county licenses. Also, don’t forget to have a current copy of anyone’s driver’s license who drives a company vehicle and to verify any professional licenses....

Q. When is a home safety assessment required and what needs to be assessed?  A. The DMEPOS Quality Standards require home medical equipment providers to “have a program that promotes safe equipment and item use and minimizes staff and patient safety risks, infections and hazards.”   The supplier must also “ensure patients and caregivers can use all equipment and items safely and effectively in their anticipated settings.” Therefore, in most cases, the completion...

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. – Great Plains Homecare Equipment has been awarded CHAP accreditation under the organization’s home medical equipment services standards of excellence. The rigorous evaluation by CHAP focuses on structure and function, quality of services and products, human and financial resources and long- term viability. “Great Plains Health Homecare Equipment places an emphasis on quality, outcomes, patient safety and remarkable care,” said Clint Brady, general manager,...

Q. What is the difference between a Plan of Treatment and the Plan of Care?   A. Accreditation organizations have separate standards related to the Plan of Treatment (POT) and the Plan of Care (POC), both of which have been confusing for not only lay people but also for clinicians. The two documents are used together in the care of a patient but have separate intents.   The POT is provided to the HME provider by the physician and explains how the physician wants the patient treated....

Q. When transporting a small quantity of oxygen tanks, am I required to have shipping papers or a manifest? A. This is a question asked frequently by home medical equipment companies. There is also a fair amount of confusion among Department of Transportation (DOT) officers regarding the need for a manifest. Surveyors for accreditation organizations have also cited organizations for not documenting balances of tanks the driver is transporting. So, what is the regulation regarding the transportation...