Medical Staff Alert: New Medicare law changes Joint Commission deeming authority status

Congress last week overrode a presidential veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008—a bill that included a provision that changed The Joint Commission’s deeming authority status with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The new law removes the “unique deeming authority” given to The Joint Commission via CMS since 1965, requiring instead that the accrediting body (as well as any other accrediting bodies seeking deeming status) to apply through CMS for that authority.

To prevent any breaks in accreditation for Joint Commission-accredited hospitals, a two-year transition period has been included in the provision for The Joint Commission to apply for deeming authority through CMS. View The Joint Commission’s response to this provision, click here.