If you’re a provider or supplier that furnishes the technical component of advanced diagnostic imaging (ADI) services and bill Medicare under the Physician Fee Schedule for these services, you should know that you must be accredited by Sun Jan 1, 2012. Those not accredited by that deadline will not be able to bill Medicare until they become accredited.
For those planning on seeking accreditation to continue performing the technical component of ADI services, know that accreditation is dependent on the demonstration of quality standards, including (but not limited to):
§ Qualifications and responsibilities of medical directors and supervising physicians;
§ Qualifications of medical personnel who are not physicians;
§ Procedures to ensure that equipment used meets performance specifications;
§ Procedures to ensure the safety of beneficiaries;
§ Procedures to ensure the safety of person who furnish the imaging; and
§ Establishment and maintenance of a quality assurance and quality control program to ensure the reliability, clarity and accuracy of the technical quality of the image.
Additionally, the accreditation process may include:
§ Un-announced, random site visits;
§ Review of phantom images;
§ Review of staff credentialing records and maintenance records;
§ Review of beneficiary complaints and patient records;
§ Review of quality data and ongoing data monitoring; and
§ Triennial surveys.
For more information about ADI Accreditation, including details of the accreditation process and the organizations approved by CMS to grant accreditation, please visit http://www.CMS.gov/MedicareProviderSupEnroll/03_AdvancedDiagnosticImagingAccreditation.asp. An MLN Special Edition Article (SE1122) – “Important Reminders about Advanced Diagnostic Imaging (ADI) Accreditation Requirements” – has also been published and is available at http://www.CMS.gov/MLNMattersArticles/Downloads/SE1122.pdf.
