To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide under the Medicare program for independent accreditation for dialysis facilities and assurance of high quality surveys with respect to such facilities.

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide under the Medicare program for independent accreditation for dialysis facilities and assurance of high quality surveys with respect to such facilities. 1. Independent accreditation for dialysis facilities and assurance of high quality surveys (a) Accreditation and surveys (1) In general Section 1865 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395bb (A) in subsection (a)— (i) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking or the conditions and requirements under section 1881(b) (ii) in paragraph (4), by inserting (including a renal dialysis facility) facility (B) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (e) With respect to an accreditation body that has received approval from the Secretary under subsection (a)(3)(A) for accreditation of provider entities that are required to meet the conditions and requirements under section 1881(b), in addition to review and oversight authorities otherwise applicable under this title, the Secretary shall (as the Secretary determines appropriate) conduct, with respect to such accreditation body and provider entities, any or all of the following more frequently than is otherwise required to be conducted under this title with respect to other accreditation bodies or other provider entities: (1) Validation surveys referred to in subsection (d). (2) Accreditation program reviews (as defined in section 488.8(c) of title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations, or a successor regulation). (3) Performance reviews (as defined in section 488.8(a) of title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations, or a successor regulation). . (2) Timing for acceptance of requests from accreditation organizations Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall begin accepting requests from national accreditation bodies for a finding described in section 1865(a)(3)(A) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395bb(a)(3)(A) 42 U.S.C. 1395rr(b) (b) Requirement for timing of surveys of new dialysis facilities Section 1881(b)(1) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395rr(b)(1) Beginning 180 days after the date of the enactment of this sentence, an initial survey of a provider of services or a renal dialysis facility to determine if the conditions and requirements under this paragraph are met shall be initiated not later than 90 days after such date on which both the provider enrollment form (without regard to whether such form is submitted prior to or after such date of enactment) has been determined by the Secretary to be complete and the provider’s enrollment status indicates approval is pending the results of such survey.

Summary: This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow renal dialysis facilities to be accredited by an approved accreditation body for participation in the Medicare program. The bill also establishes a time frame with respect to initial surveys of renal dialysis facilities.