Accreditation Questions Keep Coming

BALTIMORE — During an Open Door Forum Wednesday, there
wasn’t a lot of new business discussed, but a lot of old business
brought repeated questions from listeners on accreditation,
deadlines and revocation of billing numbers.

After reminders from CMS about DMEPOS accreditation and surety
bond deadlines — Oct. 1 and 2, respectively — callers
grilled agency representatives on exactly what would happen if
providers don’t have those items in place.

“This is very simple …” said CMS’ Jim Bossenmeyer. “If you
are not in compliance on Oct. 1 [for accreditation] or not in
compliance on Oct. 2 for the surety bond, the [National Supplier
Clearinghouse] will take the necessary actions to revoke your
billing privileges.”

According to the agency’s Nannette Hardouin, “We expect that the
NSC will be sending letters to all suppliers that do not have a
surety bond or an accreditation on file … You are either
accredited or you are not.”

Bossenmeyer said the termination or revocation letters would go
out either Oct. 1 or Oct. 2. “There will be a 30-day process before
revocation can occur,” he said, but then “billing privileges would
cease on or after that day.”

Is there any way to check whether the NSC has all the correct
accreditation or surety bond information, a Kansas HME provider
wondered?

“There’s not a process whereby you can check the information
with the NSC,” Bossenmeyer replied, adding that providers should
keep copies of any information they have filed.

But with competitive bidding coming up and the possibility of
rejection because that information could be lacking, the provider
persisted, he would like to make sure the NSC has the information
that was sent.

“The NSC can make a mistake just the same as anyone else,” he
commented. “I would suggest that we find some way of putting in a
process where we can verify that information before competitive
bidding moves forward.”

“Thank you for that comment,” Bossenmeyer responded.

For providers just now entering the accreditation process,
Sandra Bastinelli, charged with running the DMEPOS accreditation
program, gave little hope they could meet the mandatory deadline.
Because it takes an average of six to seven months to gain
accreditation, she said, “if you are just applying now, please
don’t contact us and ask where you are … You will most likely
not get accredited by the Oct. 1 deadline.”

About pharmacies, Bastinelli said, “the timeframe for
accreditation is not any different than anyone else getting
accredited.”

She said the agency is “monitoring closely” whether it will come
down to the wire for too many pharmacies that did not apply in
time. “We will evaluate what to do at that time,” she said.

Pharmacy groups are pushing for exemption from the accreditation
and surety bond requirements with bills in Congress that would
grant both. This week, The National Federation of Independent
Business, the National Rural Health Association, the American
Association of Diabetes Educators and the Diabetes Access to Care
Coalition sent letters to Senate and House committees asking
for support of the bills.

The House health care reform bill (H.R. 3200) also includes
provisions that would exempt some pharmacies from the
surety bond requirement, and those selling diabetes supplies, canes
and crutches from accreditation.

But so far, Bastinelli said, CMS doesn’t “have any statutory
changes that we could make, so the Oct. 1 deadline stands.”