Tag: HQAA

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...

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...

WATERLOO, Iowa – HQAA has announced that Harold Davis has been named director of surveyor services. Davis has 35 years of experience and has been a respiratory therapist for 38 years. “Harold is a strong educator and HQAA will use this talent to improve education to our clients, as well as our surveyors and HQAA coaches,” stated Rhonda Pearce, executive director. “We are excited about this addition to HQAA.” Davis will replace Jim Moyer, who will retire later this month. 

When it comes to accreditation, many private insurers need to get with the times, accreditation organizations say. Private insurers are requiring accreditation, too, but, in some cases, they're listing only a limited number of the 10 accreditation organizations that Medicare has approved for the task. “The credentialing departments within the BCBSs and the Aetnas may be using paperwork and policies and processes that go back before the deemed status days of DME, so they may be like,...

WATERLOO, Iowa - In an economy where, according to the Small Business Administration, two-thirds of businesses don't make it past five years and 75% don't make it past 10 years, Mary Nicholas feels pretty good about HQAA.The accrediting agency celebrates its 10th year in business this year and will unveil a new look at The Heartland Conference in June.“We're the same solid, customer-oriented, compatible accreditor that we've always been,” said Nicholas, president and CEO. “We're...

WATERLOO, Iowa - The Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation has been approved as an accreditation organization by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arkansas as of April 1, 2015. The recognition extends to the insurer's affiliated companies, USAble Corporation and Health Advantage. “Now HQAA customers can apply to be preferred providers and, if approved, their customer base can expand to serve Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas patients,” stated Mary Nicholas, president/CEO of HQAA...

WATERLOO, Iowa - Any provider can now take advantage of HQAA's accreditation maintenance program. The online program, which helps providers stay up-to-date with accreditation standards, was previously available only to HQAA customers. The Accreditation Maintenance Program Toolkit (AMPT) covers a topic per month, highlighting important areas to check and review. The program also enables staff members to track and share progress with company leadership.

YARMOUTH, Maine - The years 2009 through 2012 have also been a roller coaster ride for accreditation organizations. In 2009, when CMS started requiring that HME providers be accredited, these organizations saw new business in droves. But by the end of 2012, with Round 1 of competitive bidding in place for two years, they saw a number of providers exit the business and, therefore, no longer need their services, they say. “I think (all the accrediting organizations) lost customers,”...