Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) has applied for continued CMS approval of its home health agency accreditation program. Its term of approval for the accreditation program is set to expire March 31.
 
CMS is now accepting public comment.
 
CMS will consider a number of factors, including the equivalency of CHAP’s standards for home health agencies as compared with CMS’ home health CoPs and CHAP's survey process to determine the following:
  • The composition of the survey team, surveyor qualifications and the ability of the organization to provide continuing surveyor training.
  • The comparability of CHAP’s processes to those of state agencies, including survey frequency and the ability to investigate and respond appropriately to complaints against accredited agencies.
  • CHAP's processes and procedures for monitoring agencies found out of compliance with CHAP’s program requirements. These monitoring procedures are used only when CHAP identifies noncompliance. If noncompliance is identified through validation reviews or complaint surveys, the state survey agency monitors corrections as specified at §488.9(c).
  • CHAP’s capacity to report deficiencies to the surveyed agencies and respond to the agency's plan of correction in a timely manner.
  • CHAP’s capacity to provide us with electronic data, and reports necessary for effective validation and assessment of the organization's survey process.
  • The adequacy of CHAP’s staff and other resources, and its financial viability.
  • CHAP’s capacity to adequately fund required surveys.
  • CHAP’s policies with respect to whether surveys are announced or unannounced, to assure that surveys are unannounced. CHAP’s agreement to provide us with a copy of the most current accreditation survey together with any other information related to the survey as we may require (including corrective action plans).