The Joint Commission (JC) announced today that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has renewed the JC’s “deeming authority” for the accreditation of hospitals participating in the Medicare program. The CMS awarded the continued recognition for a 6-year period beginning July 15, 2014.
As part of process leading to renewal, CMS evaluated a wide range of JC standards, policies, and survey practices. Recent changes to JC requirements, effective on July 1, 2014, were key to the renewal.
According to the JC, accredited hospitals may ask the organization to survey them for compliance with the Medicare quality and safety requirements. A JC survey is just one option for Medicare approval. Other alternatives include another accrediting body or state surveyors working on behalf of CMS. All deemed status surveys are unannounced.
News of the CMS decision was first published on Friday, June 27, in the Federal Register.
