CMS Renews ACHC Home Health Deeming Authority

CARY, N.C. (March 2, 2021)—Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) reaffirms its status as a national leader in home health accreditation with its recent renewal as an approved accreditor for Medicare providers by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The CMS approval extends ACHC’s authority to conduct deemed status surveys that meet or exceed Medicare requirements. Achieving ACHC Home Health Accreditation certifies that providers meet the Medicare Conditions of Participation.  

“This important recognition from CMS as a national accrediting organization for Medicare providers is testament to ACHC’s long-standing commitment to promoting operational excellence and the highest-quality patient care,” said Susan Mills, ACHC associate clinical director. “ACHC accredits more than 2,100 home health locations and providers can trust us to understand the unique challenges they face. We strive to provide only the best service to help providers meet all relevant compliance and regulatory requirements.”

ACHC’s renewal as an approved accreditor is valid for four years. ACHC has been recognized by CMS to conduct deemed status home health surveys since 2006.

As demand for homecare services rises in concert with the aging U.S. population, ACHC Accreditation can help providers address both challenges and opportunities. ACHC focuses on a patient-centered approach to accreditation, giving providers a convenient, efficient way to meet regulatory requirements, enhance business operations, and demonstrate their dedication to a higher level of performance, patient care and safety.

ACHC Home Health Accreditation uses program-specific standards that are easy to access and interpret. The flexible, educational approach offers providers access to personal account advisors, clinical and regulatory support, and program-specific education resources throughout the accreditation process.

For home health agencies, ACHC offers accreditation for home health aide, medical social services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, skilled nursing, and speech therapy services. Home health providers that want to distinguish themselves further can obtain a Distinction in Telehealth, Behavioral Health and Palliative Care. In addition to home health, ACHC maintains CMS deeming authority for hospice, home infusion therapy, renal dialysis, DMEPOS, acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals, clinical laboratories and ambulatory surgery centers and has a quality management system that is certified to ISO 9001:2015.

To learn more about accreditation options from ACHC, visit achc.org.