Accreditation guide
CHAP accreditation
CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Partner) accredits home health, hospice, home care, palliative care, DMEPOS, home infusion therapy and pharmacy, with deemed status available for Medicare home health, hospice and DMEPOS. Accreditation “is voluntary and is not required for Medicare participation”; a deemed survey replaces the state survey agency’s certification survey, while CMS makes the certification decision.
Educational summary, last reviewed October 17, 2026. Not legal advice — confirm with the state licensing agency or counsel.
Last reviewed October 17, 2026. 21 findings: 18 verified, 3 provisional. 1 time-sensitive, flagged with a recheck date. How findings are sourced and labelled.
1Background and CMS recognition by program
| Accreditor | Medicare home health | Medicare hospice | Home infusion therapy supplier | DMEPOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Joint Commission | March 31, 2026 – March 31, 2032 source | June 18, 2025 – June 18, 2030 source | December 15, 2023 – December 15, 2029 source | Approved source |
| CHAP | March 31, 2024 – March 31, 2030 source | November 20, 2024 – November 20, 2029 source | September 25, 2024 – September 25, 2030 source | Approved source |
| ACHC | February 24, 2025 – February 24, 2031 source | November 27, 2025 – November 27, 2031 source | April 23, 2024 – April 23, 2030 source | Approved source |
| URAC | No | No | March 27, 2024 – March 27, 2030 | No |
| NABP | No | No | September 26, 2024 – September 26, 2030 | Approved |
| The Compliance Team | No | No | September 28, 2024 – September 28, 2030 | Approved |
| HQAA, ABC, BOC | No | No | No | Approved |
Medicare home health
VerifiedCMS approval term: March 31, 2024 – March 31, 2030.
Source: Federal Register 2023-28831
Medicare hospice
VerifiedCMS approval term: November 20, 2024 – November 20, 2029.
Source: Federal Register 2024-26123
Home infusion therapy suppliers
VerifiedCMS approval term: September 25, 2024 – September 25, 2030.
Source: Federal Register 2024-21084CMS Manual Transmittal r10467pi (HIT accreditors)
DMEPOS suppliers
VerifiedCHAP is on CMS’s list of eight DMEPOS accrediting organizations (updated January 9, 2026).
Source: CMS: DMEPOS accreditation organizations (updated January 9, 2026)
2Eligible providers and programs
Programs offered
VerifiedHome Health, Hospice, Home Care, Palliative Care, DMEPOS/HME, Home Infusion Therapy, Pharmacy, High-Acuity Care at Home, Community Care Facility certification, Corporate Accreditation, and specialty certifications in Age-Friendly Care and Pediatric Care. CHAP’s page says home health, hospice and HME/DMEPOS organizations “can opt to seek deemed status”; the Federal Register also shows a CMS home infusion therapy approval.
3Application and prerequisites
Readiness minimums by line
VerifiedHome health: 10 skilled patients served, 7 active, and the MAC’s CMS-855A recommendation letter. Hospice: 5 served, 3 active, and the 855A letter. Home care, palliative care and home infusion therapy: 5 served, 3 active. HME/DMEPOS and infusion pharmacy: 5 served. Pharmacy: no minimum. All lines: a copy of the state license where one is required.
Source: CHAP: Accreditation
Steps
VerifiedOnline application, agreement and payment option; online self-study and readiness checklist; a final readiness call; the on-site survey; then a determination of approval or a plan of correction. Pricing is custom with no annual fees, and standards are free after application.
Source: CHAP: Accreditation
4Standards and current edition
Where the standards are
VerifiedStandards are built around patient care and tied to the Medicare conditions, with “Clear Evidence Guidelines” explaining how compliance is evaluated; they are downloadable through CHAP’s client portal after application, at no charge.
Source: CHAP: Accreditation
Standards crosswalk to Medicare
VerifiedFor deemed programs, an accreditor’s standards are crosswalked to the Medicare Conditions of Participation (42 CFR 484 for home health, 418 for hospice, 486 Subpart I for home infusion therapy) (42 CFR 488.5(a)(3)). From June 16, 2027, accreditors must use the language of the Medicare conditions as their minimum deeming standards, and may add stricter requirements.
Source: 42 CFR 488.5Federal Register 2026-12069 (AO oversight final rule, June 16, 2026)
5Governance, personnel, QAPI and safety
What the standards cover
ProvisionalDeemed-program standards follow the Medicare conditions plus the accreditor’s own additions, typically across governance, quality assessment and performance improvement, infection control, medication management, emergency preparedness, patient rights and staff competency. Standard numbers and text are proprietary and are not reproduced here.
Not yet confirmed — check with CHAP.
Source: 42 CFR 488.5
6What surveyors review
The site visit
VerifiedThe visit lasts two to five days: entrance conference, staff interviews, patient and personnel record review, home visits, daily wrap-ups and an exit interview.
Source: CHAP: Accreditation
7Readiness, the on-site survey and decisions
Term
ProvisionalCHAP accreditation runs three years; CHAP’s own page does not state the term.
Not yet confirmed — check with CHAP.
Source: Bangor Daily News (2021)
8Deficiencies, correction, follow-up and appeals
Plan of correction
ProvisionalCHAP’s plan-of-correction deadlines are not published on its public page.
Not yet confirmed — check with CHAP.
Source: CHAP: Accreditation
9Renewal and ongoing obligations
Re-survey ceiling
VerifiedAccreditors must re-survey each accredited provider “no later than 36 months after the prior accreditation effective date”, and surveys must be unannounced (42 CFR 488.5(a)(4)(i)).
Source: 42 CFR 488.5
An accreditor and its consulting affiliate may not provide fee-based consulting to a provider before its initial accreditation survey, to providers it accredits within 12 months before their next re-accreditation survey, or in response to a complaint (42 CFR 488.8(i)).
Source: Federal Register 2026-12069 (AO oversight final rule, June 16, 2026)
No survey blackout dates
VerifiedIn CHAP’s 2024 home health renewal CMS required it to remove survey “blackout dates”, because facilities are expected to be survey-ready at all times.
Source: Federal Register 2023-28831
10Deemed status, state recognition and limits
What deemed status does
VerifiedA deemed provider is treated as meeting Medicare requirements on the accreditor’s survey. It must let its accreditor release its most current survey to CMS; home health and hospice accreditor surveys are disclosable, and hospice results from October 1, 2022 are posted publicly (42 CFR 488.7). State survey agencies run validation surveys, and a provider found out of compliance loses deemed status until it complies (42 CFR 488.9).
Source: 42 CFR 488.742 CFR 488.9
Accreditors may not survey initial Medicare applicants until the MAC has reviewed the CMS-855A and recommended approval (SOM chapter 2 §2003C).
Initial certification surveys of new home health agencies and hospices not exempt from the nationwide moratorium that began May 13, 2026 “shall not continue” while it lasts.
Time-sensitive. Recheck after about November 13, 2026, when CMS reassesses the moratorium.
Accreditation does not replace a state license where one is required. CMS requires deemed hospices to hold state licensure where state law requires it.
Source: Federal Register 2024-26123
11State by state
Several states accept accreditation in place of a routine licensure survey or for part of licensure; the list varies by accreditor name. Oklahoma’s rule names “Medicare, JCAHO or CHAP”; Ohio’s names ACHC, CHAP or The Joint Commission; Texas names The Joint Commission, CHAP and ACHC.
In practice: Every state on one map: accreditation in place of a state survey.
Official sources
- Federal Register 2023-28831
- Federal Register 2024-26123
- Federal Register 2024-21084
- CMS Manual Transmittal r10467pi (HIT accreditors)
- CMS: DMEPOS accreditation organizations (updated January 9, 2026)
- CHAP: Accreditation
- 42 CFR 488.5
- Federal Register 2026-12069 (AO oversight final rule, June 16, 2026)
- Bangor Daily News (2021)
- 42 CFR 488.7
- 42 CFR 488.9
- CMS State Operations Manual, Chapter 2
- CMS FY 2027 Mission and Priority Document
- OAC 310:662
- OAC 3701-60-03
- 26 TAC §558.503
Revision history
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-17 | First published |
About this guide. Published and maintained by Paloma Health Technologies; Findings are cited to official sources, dated and status-labelled; see the editorial policy. Educational summary, last reviewed October 17, 2026. Not legal advice — confirm with the state licensing agency or counsel.
Questions
CHAP: common questions
What census does CHAP require before a home health survey?
Ten skilled patients served, seven active at the visit, plus the MAC’s CMS-855A recommendation letter.
Does CHAP charge annual fees?
CHAP describes custom pricing with no annual fees and free standards.