Some years ago, payers demanded that specialty pharmacies obtain accreditation to even be considered for inclusion in their specialty pharmacy networks. It was an effective blocking tactic…. for a while. As many specialty pharmacies obtained specialty pharmacy accreditation those wraskley payers upped the game by requiring two accreditations.
Since then, accreditations have been offered for a host of other niche business segments including Mail Order, Long Term Care, and Infusion Pharmacy. Oh, and throw in ‘Distinctions’ in Oncology, and Rare and Orphan Diseases, and more. Piling on accreditations is a strong argument that the specialty pharmacy meets virtually any requirement a payer could throw at them.
The article below is timely as it raises awareness of the need for yet another accreditation. CMS is requiring a special accreditation for delivery of Infusion services resulting in infusion confusion. If your organization hasn’t already moved to obtain the new accreditation it is time to play catch up. You may have accreditation in Infusion Pharmacy….. but, that’s not what CMS is looking for. The new version targets the delivery of nursing services in the home. Just look at it like chocolate and peanut butter. So, read the article to get a full picture or just call your accrediting company and have a discussion.
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Home Infusion Therapy Accreditation Rolls Out
- Compliance a Must Under CMS Regulations
By Gina ShawSpecialty Pharmacy Continuum FEBRUARY 23, 2021 — As of Jan. 1, 2021, home infusion providers are officially required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to obtain accreditation to bill Medicare Part B for home infusion therapy (HIT) services. To make that transition to compliance a success, providers need to consider a number of important factors, according to three organizations now offering the accreditation.
The first is to know that Medicare HIT accreditation is not necessarily for everyone, noted Jon Pritchett, PharmD, the program director overseeing pharmacy programs for the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). “Some places just focus on pediatric infusions, and Medicare may not be a significant part of what they do,” he explained. “But for organizations that have a heavy Medicare population and a lot of those medications are covered, then there’s a good return on investment for this accreditation.”
It’s also important to know why HIT accreditation has gained traction. Historically…………CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
