(OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. – April 9, 2009) The Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has renewed The Joint Commission’s deeming authority for hospice organizations for the maximum six-year term allowed.
The six-year designation means that hospice organizations accredited by The Joint Commission will be “deemed” as meeting Medicare and Medicaid certification requirements and are eligible for Medicare reimbursement. CMS found that The Joint Commission’s standards for hospice meet or exceed those established for the Medicare and Medicaid programs. According to the Hospice Association of America’s 2008 Hospice Facts and Statistics report, Medicare certified hospices have grown from just 31 in 1984 to more than 3,000 in January 2008, serving more than 950,000 patients annually.
“The Joint Commission is pleased to once again receive this recognition of its national standards for the accreditation of hospice programs,” says Margherita Labson, R.N., associate director, Home Care Accreditation Program, The Joint Commission. “This public-private partnership between CMS and The Joint Commission is a commitment to the quality of hospice services for terminally ill patients and their families.”
The final notice announcing the approval of The Joint Commission for continued recognition as a national accreditation organization for hospices that request participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs was published in the Federal Register on March 27. The Joint Commission has been granted deeming authority for hospice since 1999.
Accreditation is voluntary and seeking deemed status through accreditation is an option, not a requirement. Organizations seeking Medicare approval may choose to be surveyed either by an accrediting organization such as The Joint Commission, or by a state survey agency on behalf of CMS. All deemed status surveys are unannounced. Organizations choosing the deemed status option are evaluated to determine their compliance with the hospice Conditions of Participation and all other applicable Joint Commission hospice standards. For more information see The Joint Commission’s 2009 Guide to Understanding the Hospice Deemed Status Option. (Requires Adobe Reader)
Established in 1988, The Joint Commission’s Home Care Accreditation Program accredits more than 4,000 organizations that offer a variety of services in a patient’s or client’s home. More information about the Home Care Accreditation Program is available here or by contacting Margherita Labson at 630-792-5742 or mlabson@jointcommission.org.