CMS Sets Call on Accreditation Exemptions, Answers Question on Hospice Rule

BALTIMORE–The “drop dead” date for mandatory DMEPOS
accreditation has been set for Sept. 30, 2009, but last week, CMS
announced a Special Open Door Forum to address exemptions to the
deadline as outlined in a new subparagraph of the Medicare
Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, or MIPPA.

“This subparagraph states that eligible professionals and
other persons are exempt from meeting the Sept. 30, 2009,
accreditation deadline until CMS determines that the quality
standards are specifically designed to apply to such professionals
and other persons,” an agency notice said. “MIPPA also
states that CMS may exempt such professionals and persons from the
quality standards based on their licensing, accreditation or other
mandatory quality requirements that may apply.”

The Open Door call will be held Wednesday, Sept. 3, from 2 p.m.
to 3:30 p.m. EDT. To participate, call 800/837-1935 and use
Conference ID 61231070.

An audio recording of the call will be posted to the Special
Open Door Forum Web site at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/OpenDoorForums/05_ODF_SpecialODF.asp
and will be accessible for downloading beginning Sept. 10.

Questions about accreditation were also a point of issue at
CMS’ Aug. 13 Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door
Forum.

Specifically, questions were raised about accreditation
deadlines for providers who service Medicare hospice. According to
the final “Conditions of Payment” for Medicare and
Medicaid hospices published June 5 in the Federal Register,
providers that service hospices must be accredited in order to keep
their contracts. The date the new hospice rules take effect is Dec.
2, 2008.

While CMS had no staff available to answer during the call, last
week the agency issued the following response:

”If a hospice has a contract with a DME (that has a
Medicare supplier number), the hospice should have a letter in
their file from the DME stating the DME has applied and is waiting
for accreditation by the [Sept. 30, 2009] date.

“If the hospice contracts with a DME that only serves
hospice, (therefore no Medicare supplier number), the hospice will
need to make sure the same type of letter from the DME is in place
in their files. The accrediting bodies are aware that these DMEs
serving hospice only will be calling for accreditation.

”If the hospice owns its own DME, then no accreditation is
needed.”

For follow-up questions, CMS asked providers to email Capt. Mary
Rossi-Coajou at [email protected].