Citation
(2002), "USA. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations approved as "deeming" authority", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 15 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2002.06215eab.011
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited
USA. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations approved as "deeming" authority
USA
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations approved as "deeming" authority
The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 directed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish and oversee a programme that allows private, national accreditation organisations to "deem" that a Medicare+Choice organisation meets certain Medicare requirements. In March this year CMS announced the approval of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) as a deeming authority of Medicare+Choice organisations that are licensed as health maintenance organisations (HMOs) and preferred provider organisations (PPOs), making it easier for health plans to serve Medicare beneficiaries.
CMS found that the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards for Medicare managed care organisations meet or exceed those established by the Medicare programme. Tom Scully, CMS administrator said that deeming helps to ensure that the Medicare+ Choice plans are continuing to provide high quality service to their beneficiaries. He said that JCAHO had earned the right to act in that capacity and that CMS expects other organisations to do the same in the near future.
Medicare+Choice organisations that are licensed as HMOs and PPOs and are accredited by JCAHO may receive, at their request, deemed status for the Medicare+Choice requirements in six areas: quality assurance, information on advance directives, antidiscrimination, access to services, provider participation rules, and confidentiality and accuracy of enrollee records.