Section 135(a) of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) amended section 1834(e) of the Social Security Act and required the Secretary to designate organizations to accredit suppliers, including but not limited to physicians, non-physician practitioners and Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities, that furnish the technical component (TC) of advanced diagnostic imaging services.
MIPPA specifically defines advanced diagnostic imaging procedures as including diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and nuclear medicine imaging such as positron emission tomography (PET). The law also authorizes the Secretary to specify other diagnostic imaging services in consultation with physician specialty organizations and other stakeholders.
MIPPA expressly excludes from the accreditation requirement x-ray, ultrasound, and fluoroscopy procedures. The law also excludes from the CMS accreditation requirement diagnostic and screening mammography which are subject to quality oversight by the Food and Drug Administration under the Mammography Quality Standards Act.
In order to furnish the TC of advanced diagnostic imaging services for Medicare beneficiaries, suppliers must be accredited by January 1, 2012.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved three national accreditation organizations – the American College of Radiology, the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission, and The Joint Commission – to provide accreditation services for suppliers of the TC of advanced diagnostic imaging procedures. The accreditation will apply only to the suppliers of the images themselves, and not to the physician's interpretation of the image. All accreditation organizations have quality standards that address the safety of the equipment as well as the safety of the patients and staff. To obtain additional information about the accreditation process, please contact the accreditation organizations shown below.
American College of Radiology (ACR)
1891 Preston White Drive
Reston, VA 20191-4326
1-800-770-0145
Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC)
6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500
Ellicott City, MD 21043
1-800-838-2110
The Joint Commission (TJC)
Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
1-630-792-5286
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