Novitas Solutions, Inc., a Part A and Part B Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), has posted a revised local coverage determination policy (LCD) for outpatient sleep studies (L27530) in Jurisdiction L, which comprises Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, and New Jersey. The revised criteria for coverage, which apply to outpatient sleep studies performed on or after March 27, 2014, require all non-hospital based facilities to be accredited.
As the leader in setting standards and promoting excellence in sleep medicine, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has been accrediting sleep centers since 1977. The five-year accreditation offered by the AASM is both the gold standard for the field and the best value for sleep centers.
Unaccredited sleep centers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, and New Jersey are advised to begin the accreditation application process immediately. According to Novitas, facilities that are applying for accreditation should keep documentation on file to confirm that they have begun the accreditation process. An official letter from the AASM confirming that an accreditation application is in process will be provided to applicants that submit a completed application for accreditation. (Incomplete applications are not considered to be “in process.”) To promote compliance with the new LCD requirements, the AASM urges unaccredited sleep centers to complete and submit the accreditation application before March 27, 2014.
Comprehensive information about sleep center accreditation is available on the AASM website. Resources to assist sleep centers in preparing and submitting an application include:
- AASM Standards for Accreditation of Sleep Disorders Centers
- Fact sheets
- Application process overview
- Frequently asked questions
- Online application
The AASM welcomes the opportunity to assist sleep centers during the application process. For assistance please contact the AASM Accreditation Department at 630-737-9700 or accreditation@aasm.org.
Note: Novitas also is the MAC for Jurisdiction H, which comprises Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Facility accreditation is already required in the current LCD for outpatient sleep studies in Jurisdiction H (L32711), which has been in effect since Jan. 1, 2013.
