WASHINGTON—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has halted the ability of the Board of Certification/Accreditation International (BOC) to act as an approved accreditation organization for durable medical equipment (DME) providers. BOC said it was "dismayed" by CMS' actions and that it has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The change is effective Dec. 2 and means providers of DME, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) must find a new accrediting agency. CMS said BOC is no longer authorized to conduct supplier surveys for quality standards or other CMS-approved DMEPOS accreditation functions related to Medicare.
"This announcement has significant impact on suppliers who have relied on BOC's services," the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) said in an email about the announcement.
In June, the organization was told by CMS to stop taking new accreditation and reaccreditation applications for three years in Florida, Texas, California and New York after the discovery of misconduct by a former independent contractor.
BOC may no longer perform:
- Reaccreditation of existing suppliers
- Surveys or accreditation for new locations or product categories
- Any other functions as a CMS-approved DMEPOS accrediting body
DME businesses currently accredited by BOC must transition to another CMS-approved accrediting organization before their current accreditation expires. Without active accreditation, Medicare billing privileges cannot be maintained.
Suppliers in the process of obtaining BOC accreditation must seek accreditation from another CMS-approved organization to enroll in Medicare.
CMS said that suppliers must update their Medicare enrollment information within 30 days of obtaining new accreditation by submitting a CMS-855S form by mail or online.
BOC noted that all certification programs remain relevant and valid for the thousands of providers holding BOC credentials. The company also said in a statement sent to HomeCare:
"BOC has sought guidance from CMS on how CMS plans to operationalize this abrupt change for BOC's customers. CMS advised that all inquiries regarding impact on supplier Medicare enrollment should be directed to the following email: dmeaccreditation@cms.hhs.gov.
Those who value accreditation and are committed to DMEPOS product access and patient safety understand that accreditation operations cannot be abruptly halted without resulting in a negative impact on DMEPOS suppliers and the patients/beneficiaries they serve.
In response to CMS's abrupt termination, BOC has filed Board of Certification/Accreditation International, Inc. v. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. et al, Case No. 1:25-cv-04150-MJM, in the United States District Court of Maryland.
Since Dec. 2, our focus has been on the DMEPOS customers most immediately impacted: new and reaccrediting facilities in the midst of completing the final requirements to confirm compliance and receive accreditation. Some of these customers were surveyed weeks prior to CMS issuing the December 2 notice of withdrawal.
BOC is dismayed by the actions of CMS, particularly with its refusal to have verbal conversations with BOC before withdrawing BOC's deemed status."