DMEPOS Supplier Accreditation Consulting
Last updated: October 2026
A supplier that bills Medicare for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) must be accredited by a CMS-approved accrediting organization, and Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) prepares suppliers for that accreditation (CMS, Enroll as a DMEPOS Supplier, page opened October 4, 2026).
DMEPOS supplier accreditation is a survey by a CMS-approved accrediting organization against CMS's DMEPOS Quality Standards, and a supplier needs it to enroll in and bill Medicare. Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS), founded in 2002 by Thomas G. Goddard, JD, PhD, former URAC COO and General Counsel, drafts the policies, procedures and documentation your staff review and approve, runs the gap assessment and a mock survey, and prepares your team for the survey. Your organization's named contact submits the application. Dr. Goddard leads IHS's DMEPOS engagements. IHS has no financial relationship with any accrediting body.
DMEPOS Accreditation FAQ | Cost Guide | Accreditor Comparison
Who needs DMEPOS supplier accreditation?
CMS states that suppliers who receive Medicare reimbursement for DMEPOS are required to obtain accreditation from a CMS-approved organization, enroll in Medicare as a DMEPOS supplier and post a surety bond (CMS, Enroll as a DMEPOS Supplier, page opened October 4, 2026). Organizations that come to IHS for this work include:
- Home medical equipment and durable medical equipment suppliers
- Pharmacies that bill Medicare for diabetic testing supplies, enteral nutrition or off-the-shelf orthotics
- Orthotics and prosthetics clinics and other practices that furnish DMEPOS items
- Buyers of DMEPOS suppliers, because of the ownership rule described below
CMS notes that certain professionals may be exempt and refers them to their enrollment contractor. It also publishes an exemption statement for qualifying pharmacies (see the FAQ).
Which organizations are CMS-approved DMEPOS accreditors?
CMS's list of DMEPOS accreditation organizations, marked as updated January 9, 2026 on the copy opened October 4, 2026, names eight organizations (CMS, DMEPOS Accreditation Organizations).
| Organization | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Accreditation Commission for Health Care | ACHC |
| American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics | ABC |
| Community Health Accreditation Program | CHAP |
| Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation | HQAA |
| Joint Commission | TJC |
| National Association of Boards of Pharmacy | NABP |
| The Compliance Team | TCT |
| Board of Certification/Accreditation | BOC |
The same list shows NABP approved for fewer categories than the others, without Appendix B (manual wheelchairs, power mobility devices and complex rehabilitative wheelchairs and assistive technology). CMS can change the list, so confirm approval on its current page.
How do I choose between accreditors?
Compare the product categories you bill, your states, each accreditor's fees and scheduling, and what your payers and contracts accept. IHS gives accreditor-neutral guidance. See the DMEPOS accreditor comparison, ACHC DMEPOS accreditation and NABP DMEPOS pharmacy accreditation.
What changed in DMEPOS accreditation rules for 2026?
CMS finalized changes in the calendar year 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System final rule (90 Federal Register 55342), effective January 1, 2026 unless CMS states otherwise. CMS summarizes them in its DMEPOS Accreditation Guidance (CMS, DMEPOS Accreditation Guidance, page opened October 4, 2026).
| Change | What CMS states |
|---|---|
| Annual resurvey | A supplier must be resurveyed and reaccredited at least once every 12 months, instead of every 36 months. The annual cycle starts when a supplier's current 3-year accreditation expires. |
| Majority ownership change | A change in majority ownership (more than a 50 percent direct ownership interest) within 36 months of enrollment or the last change in majority ownership requires a survey, accreditation and enrollment as a new DMEPOS supplier, unless a 42 CFR 424.551 exception applies. Accreditation does not transfer automatically. |
| New locations | The 90-day temporary accreditation allowance for a new location is removed. An accrediting organization surveys the new location before it issues accreditation, unless sampling for large chains applies. |
| Unannounced surveys | CMS restates that DMEPOS accreditation surveys must be unannounced. |
How does a DMEPOS accreditation engagement work?
IHS plans for 4 to 8 months from a non-compliant baseline to an accreditation decision, depending on the size of the gaps. IHS drafts the policies, procedures and documentation for your staff to review and approve.
Phase 1: Gap assessment and baseline audit (weeks 1 to 3)
IHS reviews your physical operations, documentation systems and staff records against CMS's DMEPOS Quality Standards and the manual of the accrediting organization you are considering, and lists what to build or correct.
Phase 2: Policy and procedure development (weeks 4 to 8)
IHS drafts policies and procedures for your product categories and operations. Your team reviews each draft against its own practice.
Phase 3: Implementation and staff training (weeks 9 to 12)
IHS drafts training content and log templates. Your organization delivers the training and keeps the records.
Phase 4: Mock survey and tracer exercises (weeks 13 to 14)
IHS runs a Mock Desktop Review of your documents and a mock survey of your operations, with staff interviews, a facility walkthrough and tracer exercises that follow a patient file from intake through delivery.
Phase 5: Application and survey (weeks 15 to 20+)
Your organization's named contact submits the application to your chosen accrediting organization, and IHS prepares the supporting documentation. The accreditor conducts the on-site survey. IHS prepares your staff for survey day, and your staff answer the surveyor.
Phase 6: Plan of Correction and Medicare enrollment (weeks 20 to 30+)
If the accreditor cites deficiencies, IHS drafts your Plan of Correction response for your organization to submit. For enrollment, CMS states that the National Provider Enrollment DMEPOS East and West contractors process DMEPOS enrollment applications (CMS, Enroll as a DMEPOS Supplier, page opened October 4, 2026). Your organization files the CMS-855S application, and the contractor sets the processing time.
What does a gap assessment check?
These are the areas IHS reviews during a gap assessment and mock survey. The accrediting organization's manual decides what a surveyor scores.
- Equipment cleaning, separation, storage and transport
- Safety program documents and personnel screening records, including tuberculosis control plans
- Annual leadership review of the policy and procedure manual
- Annual staff training records for corporate compliance, fraud, waste and abuse, HIPAA and OSHA
- Signed records that patients and caregivers received equipment instructions
- Patient file completeness, including orders, signatures, dates and encounter notes where the item requires them
- A complaint log with documented resolutions
Do states add requirements beyond accreditation?
They can. Several states license DMEPOS suppliers or related device sellers, and state rules differ on who is covered. CMS's competitive bidding eligibility page states that a bidder needs every current and required state or territory license for each item in the product category it bids on (CBIC, Bidder Eligibility Requirements, page opened October 4, 2026). IHS maps your states during the gap assessment, and you confirm current terms with each state agency.
What does DMEPOS accreditation cost?
The cost has four parts, and different parties set them.
- Accreditor fees: each accrediting organization sets its own fees, and IHS states no accreditor figure here. Ask your chosen accrediting organization for its current fee schedule, and budget for it each year, because CMS now requires resurvey at least every 12 months.
- CMS enrollment application fee: the 2026 enrollment application fee is $750, and CMS states that DMEPOS suppliers generally pay it (CMS, Medicare Provider Enrollment, page opened October 4, 2026). Verify current fees with CMS.
- Internal time: a quality assurance lead and staff time for training and the mock survey.
- IHS consulting fee: fixed for each engagement, as described below.
IHS sets a fixed fee for each engagement after a free discovery session, because scope, number of sites and gap severity change the work. See the DMEPOS accreditation cost guide.
Without active accreditation, the supplier cannot enroll in or bill Medicare (CMS, Enroll as a DMEPOS Supplier, page opened October 4, 2026).
How does the 2028 Competitive Bidding Program affect accreditation?
CMS's competitive bidding contractor lists target dates for Round 2028: bidder registration and the bid window in late fall 2026, contract awards in late summer or early fall 2027, and the start of Round 2028 no later than January 1, 2028. The page marks these as target dates (CBIC, Round 2028 Timeline, page opened October 4, 2026). Confirm current dates on that page.
Bidders must be accredited by a CMS-approved accrediting organization for the lead item and all non-lead items in each product category they bid on, and accreditation exemptions do not apply to the program (CBIC, Bidder Eligibility Requirements, page opened October 4, 2026). The same page describes a six-month temporary moratorium on initial enrollment applications that took effect February 27, 2026, with no extension decision stated as of June 4, 2026. A six-month moratorium that began February 27, 2026 would run out in late August unless CMS extended it, so check CMS and the Federal Register for its current status and scope. See DMEPOS competitive bidding Round 2028 readiness and DMEPOS accreditation change management.
What this is not
IHS is not an accrediting body and does not grant, schedule or influence an accreditation decision or a CMS enrollment decision.
IHS does not file anything for you. Your organization's named contact submits, and IHS drafts the supporting documents.
IHS does not give legal advice. State licensing, ownership deals and bid strategy are for your counsel.
IHS does not guarantee that an accrediting organization will accredit your organization or that CMS will approve your enrollment.
Frequently asked questions
Is DMEPOS accreditation required for every supplier?
CMS states that DMEPOS suppliers must be accredited by a CMS-approved accrediting organization to enroll in and bill Medicare, and it notes that certain professionals may be exempt. Confirm with your enrollment contractor whether an exemption applies to you.
How long does DMEPOS accreditation take?
IHS plans for 4 to 8 months from a non-compliant baseline to an accreditation decision, depending on the size of the gaps. Medicare enrollment follows accreditation, and the enrollment contractor sets its own processing time.
What changed with DMEPOS accreditation rules effective January 1, 2026?
CMS states that suppliers must be resurveyed and reaccredited at least once every 12 months, that a majority ownership change within 36 months of enrollment or the last change requires a survey, accreditation and new enrollment unless an exception applies, and that the 90-day temporary accreditation allowance for new locations is removed.
Which accrediting organizations are CMS-approved for DMEPOS?
CMS's list, marked updated January 9, 2026 on the copy opened October 4, 2026, names ACHC, ABC, CHAP, HQAA, Joint Commission, NABP, The Compliance Team and BOC. Check CMS's current page before you apply.
Do pharmacies need separate DMEPOS accreditation?
A pharmacy that bills Medicare for DMEPOS items that require accreditation generally needs it. CMS publishes an accreditation exemption statement for pharmacies that meet its criteria, which include at least 5 years enrolled as a Medicare DMEPOS supplier, no unrescinded final adverse action in the past 5 years and DMEPOS billing under 5 percent of pharmacy sales (CMS, Pharmacy Accreditation Exemption Statement Fact Sheet, October 2022 edition, opened October 4, 2026).
Who communicates with the accreditor, IHS or my organization?
Your organization. Your named contact submits the application and answers the accreditor and CMS's enrollment contractor, and IHS drafts the supporting documents and prepares your staff.
How much does DMEPOS accreditation consulting cost?
The cost has four parts: accreditor fees, the CMS enrollment application fee, internal staff time and the consulting fee. CMS lists the 2026 enrollment application fee as $750 (CMS, Medicare Provider Enrollment, page opened October 4, 2026). Verify current fees with CMS and with your accreditor. IHS sets a fixed fee for each engagement after a free discovery session.
Who is this not for?
This is not for an organization that does not bill Medicare for DMEPOS, an organization that needs a legal opinion on a deal or a license, or one that wants IHS to deal with the accreditor on its behalf. IHS does none of those.
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Related: DMEPOS Accreditation FAQ | ACHC vs. BOC vs. TCT Comparison | DMEPOS Accreditation Cost Guide | Accreditation Consulting