The American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inc., has entered into a three year agreement to promote all 1,375 ABC accredited patient care facilities in the Case Management Resource Guide (CMRG).
Published by Dorland Healthcare, the CMRG is annually distributed to over 20,000 case managers, HMO and PPO contracting managers, and rehabilitation professionals. The agreement will list detailed information on all ABC accredited facilities, thus increasing visibility to healthcare payors and adding another advantage in gaining patient referrals.
“As ABC increasingly promotes the importance of accreditation standards to our referral sources, we simultaneously raise the value of accreditation. The ultimate goal is to have insurance companies and referral sources use ABC accreditation as a requirement for O&P patient care. We believe this is a positive step toward this goal,” says ABC Facility Accreditation Committee Co-Chairman C. William Teague, CP.
Listings for each ABC accredited facility will include contact information, staff listings, and details on the types of orthotic and prosthetic patient care provided. Additionally, a unique and distinguishing ‘ABC Accredited’ logo will be placed next to each listing. Supplementary information about ABC accreditation standards will be included in the guide and online at www.cmrg.com, which will also feature listings for all ABC accredited facilities.
Prior to this agreement, ABC accredited facilities have been charged as much as $125 for listings in the CMRG. There is no doubt that this agreement will have a positive impact on the bottom line of ABC accredited facilities.
Scott Williamson, ABC Director of Facility Accreditation, explains: “For starters, accredited facilities will be given additional exposure to the decision makers in insurance companies and hospitals. This will lead to new referrals. In addition, those facilities already listed in the CMRG no longer have a financial obligation for their listings- this has been taken up by ABC at a substantially reduced rate.”
The agreement is part of an ongoing effort by ABC to increase the value of facility accreditation. In conjunction with the liability insurance discounts offered exclusively to ABC accredited facilities, substantial financial savings are now provided through ABC accreditation.