Due to a recent transition in the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for Jurisdiction J, sleep facilities in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee need to ensure that they meet all coverage provisions outlined in Palmetto GBA LCD L36593: Polysomnography, including the accreditation requirement. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently selected Palmetto GBA to replace Cahaba Government Benefit Administrators, LLC as the MAC for Jurisdiction J.
While Cahaba does not have an accreditation requirement for sleep facilities, the Palmetto GBA LCD includes an accreditation requirement that states:
“In order to perform the technical component (TC) of PSG and sleep testing (including HST), the following must be met: The sleep center or laboratory must maintain documentation on file that indicates it is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), or that it is accredited as a sleep laboratory by the Joint Commission. If the Joint Commission survey of the general hospital accreditation includes the hospital-based sleep lab, an additional accreditation is not needed. This documentation must be available on request. The AASM, ACHC, or Joint Commission accreditation applies to the hospital and freestanding facilities, including sleep clinics that are part of a physician’s office, and all other non-hospital-based facilities where sleep studies are performed.”
Unaccredited facilities in Jurisdiction J need to obtain accreditation by Feb. 26 to remain in good standing with Medicare. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) offers an expedited accreditation program so that your facility can quickly demonstrate compliance with this requirement. While other accreditors offer only a 3-year accreditation term, the AASM accredits sleep facilities for 5 years for the same price or less. Now you also can earn AASM accreditation in less time.
It is critical that unaccredited facilities begin the application process as soon as possible. To indicate your interest in expediting your facility’s accreditation application, please contact the AASM Accreditation Department immediately at 630-737-9700 or accreditation@aasm.org.
