Notice2026-06861
Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Application From DNV Healthcare USA Inc. for Continued CMS-Approval of Its Hospital Accreditation Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 9, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Abstract
This notice acknowledges the receipt of an application from DNV Healthcare USA Inc. (DNV) for continued recognition as a national accrediting organization for its hospital accreditation program to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 68 (Thursday, April 9, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 68 (Thursday, April 9, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17970-17971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06861]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-3483-PN]
Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Application From DNV Healthcare
USA Inc. for Continued CMS-Approval of Its Hospital Accreditation
Program
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Notice with request for comment.
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SUMMARY: This notice acknowledges the receipt of an application from
DNV Healthcare USA Inc. (DNV) for continued recognition as a national
accrediting organization for its hospital accreditation program to
participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs.
DATES: To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of
the addresses provided below, no later than May 11, 2026.
ADDRESSES: In commenting, please refer to file code CMS-3483-PN.
Comments, including mass comment submissions, must be submitted in
one of the following three ways (please choose only one of the ways
listed):
1. Electronically. You may submit electronic comments on this
regulation to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/docket/CMS-2026-1288">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/CMS-2026-1288</a>. Follow
the ``submit a comment'' instructions.
2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following
address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of
Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3483-PN, P.O. Box 8010,
Baltimore, MD 21244-8010.
Please allow sufficient time for mailed comments to be received
before the close of the comment period.
3. By express or overnight mail. You may send written comments to
the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3483-PN, Mail
Stop C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
For information on viewing public comments, see the beginning of
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joann Fitzell, (410) 786-4280.
Lillian Williams, (410) 786-8636.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Inspection of Public Comments: All comments received before the
close of the comment period are available for viewing by the public,
including any personally identifiable or confidential business
information that is included in a comment. We post all comments
received before the close of the comment period on the following
website as soon as possible after they have been received: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the search instructions on that website to
view public comments. CMS will not post on <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> public
comments that make threats to individuals or institutions or suggest
that the commenter will take actions to harm an individual. CMS
continues to encourage individuals not to submit duplicative comments.
We will post acceptable comments from multiple unique commenters even
if the content is identical or nearly identical to other comments.
I. Background
Under the Medicare program, eligible beneficiaries may receive
covered services from a Medicare-participating hospital, provided
certain requirements are met. Section 1861(e) of the Social Security
Act (the Act) establishes distinct criteria for facilities seeking
designation as a hospital. Regulations concerning provider agreements
are at 42 CFR part 489 and those pertaining to activities relating to
the survey and certification of facilities are at 42 CFR part 488. The
regulations at 42 CFR part 482 specify the minimum conditions that a
hospital must meet to participate in the Medicare program.
Generally, to enter into an agreement with Medicare, a hospital
must first be certified by a state survey agency (SA) as complying with
the conditions or requirements set forth in part 482 of our
regulations. Thereafter, the hospital is subject to regular surveys by
an SA to determine whether it continues to meet these requirements.
However, there is an alternative to surveys by SAs.
Section 1865(a)(1)(A) of the Act provides that, if a provider
entity demonstrates through accreditation by a Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) approved national accrediting organization (AO)
that all applicable Medicare conditions are met or exceeded, we will
deem those provider entities to have met the requirements.
Accreditation by an AO is voluntary and is not required for Medicare
participation.
If an AO is recognized by the Secretary of the Department of Health
and Human Services (the Secretary) as having standards for
accreditation that meet or exceed Medicare requirements, any provider
entity accredited by the national accrediting body's approved program
would be deemed to meet the Medicare conditions (CMS generally refers
to its recognition of an AO's equivalency to CMS standards as ``deeming
authority''). A national AO applying for approval of its accreditation
program under part 488, subpart A, must provide CMS with reasonable
assurance that the AO requires accredited provider entities to meet
requirements that are at least as stringent as the Medicare conditions.
Our regulations concerning the approval of AOs are set forth at
Sec. Sec. 488.4 and 488.5. The regulation at Sec. 488.5(e)(2)(i)
permits CMS to approve or reapprove an AO application for a period not
to exceed 6 years.
DNV's current term of approval for their hospital deeming program
expires September 26, 2026.
II. CMS Approval of Accreditation Organizations
Section 1865(a)(2) of the Act and our regulations at Sec. 488.5
require CMS' review of a national AO's application consider, among
other factors, the applying AO's requirements for Medicare-equivalent
accreditation; survey procedures; resources for conducting required
surveys; capacity to furnish information for use in enforcement
activities; monitoring procedures for provider entities found not in
compliance with the conditions or requirements; and ability to provide
CMS with the necessary data for validation. CMS approves or denies an
AO's application based on an assessment of the factors stated
previously, which may include, but are not limited to, a review of the
information required to be submitted by the AO, interviews with AO
staff, an evaluation of the AO's survey process and findings, or other
activities necessary to determine that the AO meets the requirements
set forth at Sec. Sec. 488.4 and 488.5.
Section 1865(a)(3)(A) of the Act further requires that we publish,
within 60 days of receipt of an organization's complete application, a
notice identifying the national accrediting body making the request,
describing the nature of the request, and providing at least a 30-day
public comment period. We have 210 days from the receipt of a complete
application to publish notice of approval or denial of the application.
The purpose of this proposed notice is to inform the public of
DNV's request for continued approval of its hospital Medicare-
equivalent accreditation program. This notice also solicits public
comment on whether DNV's requirements meet or exceed the Medicare
conditions of participation (CoPs) for hospitals.
[[Page 17971]]
III. Evaluation of Request
DNV submitted all the necessary materials to enable us to make a
determination concerning its request for continued approval of its
hospital Medicare-equivalent accreditation program. This application
was determined to be complete on February 28, 2026. Under section
1865(a)(2) of the Act and our regulations at Sec. 488.5 (Application
and re-application procedures for national accrediting organizations),
our review and evaluation of DNV will be conducted in accordance with,
but not necessarily limited to, the following factors:
<bullet> An assessment of the equivalency of DNV's standards for
hospitals as compared with CMS' hospital CoPs.
<bullet> An assessment of DNV's survey process.
<bullet> The comparability of DNV's processes to those of state
agencies, including survey frequency, and the ability to investigate
and respond appropriately to complaints against accredited facilities.
<bullet> DNV's processes and procedures for monitoring a hospital
found out of compliance with DNV's program requirements.
<bullet> DNV's capacity to report deficiencies to the surveyed
facilities and respond to the facility's plan of correction in a timely
manner.
<bullet> DNV's capacity to provide CMS with information extracted
from each accreditation survey for a specified provider or supplier as
part of its data submissions.
<bullet> An assessment of DNV's financial viability.
<bullet> DNV's agreement to provide CMS with a copy of the most
current accreditation survey together with any other information
related to the survey as we may require (including corrective action
plans).
IV. Collection of Information Requirements
This document does not impose information collection requirements,
that is, reporting, recordkeeping or third-party disclosure
requirements. Consequently, there is no need for review by the Office
of Management and Budget under the authority of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
V. Response to Comments
Because of the large number of public comments we normally receive
on Federal Register documents, we are not able to acknowledge or
respond to them individually. We will consider all comments we receive
by the date and time specified in the DATES section of this preamble,
and, when we proceed with a subsequent document, we will respond to the
comments in the preamble to that document.
The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS), Mehmet Oz, having reviewed and approved this document,
authorizes Vanessa Garcia, who is the Federal Register Liaison, to
electronically sign this document for purposes of publication in the
Federal Register.
Vanessa Garcia,
Federal Register Liaison, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2026-06861 Filed 4-8-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 9, 2026.
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