Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality attains deeming authority

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced its decision to approve the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) as a deeming authority for hospitals that wish to participate in the Medicare/Medicaid programs. CMS regulations specify the conditions that a hospital must meet to participate in the Medicare program. According to CMS, “if an accrediting organization is recognized by CMS as having standards for accreditation that meet or exceed Medicare requirements, any provider entity accredited by the national accrediting body’s approved program would be deemed by CMS to have met the Medicare requirements.” The regulations are found in the Federal Register 78 FR 144 pgs. 45231-45233.

Along with The Joint Commission (TJC), Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) and Det Norske Vitas (DNV), CIHQ is now one of four hospital accreditation vendors with CMS-deeming authority. CIHQ’s deeming authority is effective from July 26, 2013 through July 26, 2017. CIHQ is a member-based organization, comprised primarily of acute care and critical access hospitals, and headquartered in Round Rock, Texas.