Notice2026-19061
Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application From DNV Healthcare USA Inc. (DNV) 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
September 17, 2026
Effective
September 26, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Abstract
This notice acknowledges the approval of an application from DNV Healthcare USA Inc. (DNV) for continued CMS recognition as a national accrediting organization for hospitals that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 179 (Thursday, September 17, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 179 (Thursday, September 17, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58903-58904]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19061]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-3483-FN]
Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Application From DNV Healthcare
USA Inc. (DNV) for Continued CMS-Approval of its Hospital Accreditation
Program
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice acknowledges the approval of an application from
DNV Healthcare USA Inc. (DNV) for continued CMS recognition as a
national accrediting organization for hospitals that wish to
participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs.
DATES: The decision announced in this notice is effective September 26,
2026, through September 26, 2032.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lillian Williams,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f1bd989d9d98909fdfa6989d9d98909c82b1929c82df999982df969e87"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5814313434313936760f3134343139352b183b352b7630302b763f372e">[email protected]</span></a>, and (410) 786-8636 CMS AO Application
Team <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6c2d23332d1c1c00050f0d180503021f2c0f011f4204041f420b031a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f9b8b6a6b8898995909a988d9096978ab99a948ad791918ad79e968f">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Under the Medicare program, eligible beneficiaries may receive
covered services from a 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 requirements are met or exceeded, we will
deem that provider entity to have met such 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 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. 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 the accredited provider
entities to meet requirements that meet or exceed the Medicare
conditions. ``Deemed status'' is defined at Sec. 488.1, and it means
that CMS has certified that a provider or supplier for Medicare
participation based on the fact it has been accredited by a CMS-
approved AO and met other participation requirements to become a
``deemed'' provider or supplier.
CMS reviews the standards and processes utilized by such AOs
periodically, and if CMS determines that the AO's standards and
processes meet or exceed those used by CMS surveyors, CMS grants or
renews ``deeming authority'' to the AO for certain types of providers
and suppliers, as outlined within this notice. Any provider or supplier
thereafter surveyed by such approved AO and found to have met
Medicare's regulatory standards is recognized by CMS as a ``deemed''
provider or supplier. 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 re-approve an AO application
for a period not to exceed 6 years.
DNV's current term of approval for their hospital accreditation
program expires September 26, 2026.
II. Application Review Process
Section 1865(a)(3)(A) of the Act provides a statutory timetable to
ensure that our review of applications for CMS-approval of an
accreditation program is conducted in a timely manner. The Act provides
us 210 days after the date of receipt of a complete application, with
any documentation necessary to make the determination, to complete the
application review process. Within 60 days after receiving a complete
application, we must publish a notice in the Federal Register that
identifies the national accrediting body making the request, describes
the request, and provides no less than a 30-day public comment period.
At the end of the 210-day period, we must publish a notice in the
Federal Register approving or denying the application.
III. Provisions of the Proposed Notice
On April 9, 2026, we published a proposed notice in the Federal
Register (91 FR 17970), announcing DNV Healthcare USA Inc.'s (DNV's)
request for continued approval of its Medicare hospital accreditation
program. CMS approves or denies an AO's application based on an
assessment of the factors stated, which may include, but is 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. Under Section
1865(a)(2) of the Act and in our regulations at Sec. 488.5 and Sec.
488.8(h), we reviewed DNV's Medicare hospital application in accordance
with the criteria specified by our regulations, which included an
assessment of the following:
<bullet> DNV's (1) corporate policies; (2) financial viability; (3)
ability to investigate and respond appropriately to allegations of
violations of the Medicare program requirements; and (4) survey review
and decision-making process.
<bullet> Survey processes to confirm that they are comparable to
SAs' survey processes, and DNV can adequately assess whether a provider
or supplier meets or exceeds the Medicare program requirements.
<bullet> The composition of the survey team.
<bullet> Procedures for monitoring deemed hospitals it has found to
be out of
[[Page 58904]]
compliance with DNV's program requirements.
<bullet> Ability to report deficiencies to the surveyed hospital
and respond to the hospital's plan of correction in a timely manner.
<bullet> Verification of 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. Analysis of and Responses to Public Comments on the Proposed Notice
In accordance with Section 1865(a)(3)(A) of the Act, on April 9,
2026, the proposed notice solicited public comments regarding whether
DNV's requirements met or exceeded the Medicare conditions for
hospitals. CMS received several comments, all of which supported the
continued approval of DNV's hospital accreditation program. Commenters
described DNV as fair, thorough, and knowledgeable of applicable
standards and noted that its accreditation program supports hospital
quality, patient safety, and effective hospital management. We thank
the commenters for their input and have considered it when making our
decision.
V. Provisions of the Final Notice
A. Differences Between DNV's Standards and Requirements for
Accreditation and Medicare Conditions and Survey Requirements
We assessed DNV's hospital accreditation requirements and survey
process in comparison with the Medicare CoPs of part 482 and the survey
and certification process requirements of parts 488 and 489. Our review
and evaluation of DNV's hospital application, which were conducted as
described in section III. of this final notice, yielded the following
areas where, as of the date of this final notice, DNV has completed
revising its documentation in order to meet our requirements by:
<bullet> Revising the Survey Report and Corrective Action Plan
Submittal Form to include an allowance for the Fire Safety Evaluation
System (FSES) and revising the survey guidance to address the FSES
process, required documentation, survey resubmittal requirements, and
approval process.
<bullet> Revising the inspection, testing, and maintenance
frequency guidance to define quarterly, semiannual, annual, 3-year, and
5-year frequencies consistent with CMS requirements and clarifying that
the specified frequency is required unless otherwise permitted by the
manufacturer or applicable National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
codes and standards.
B. Term of Approval
Based on our review and observations described in sections III. and
V. of this final notice, we find that DNV provides reasonable assurance
that accredited entities would meet or exceed the applicable Medicare
conditions and we approve DNV as a national AO for hospitals that
request participation in the Medicare program. The decision announced
in this final notice is effective September 26, 2026, through September
26, 2032 (6 years). In accordance with Sec. 488.5(e)(2)(i), the term
of the approval will not exceed 6 years.
VI. 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.).
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, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2026-19061 Filed 9-16-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4169-69-P
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