Many ABC certified professionals also serve as facility owners, managers, or accreditation contacts. If that includes you, review the important changes to the facility accreditation process now so you can plan, budget, and manage responsibilities in the year ahead.

Following new CMS requirements effective January 1, 2026, DMEPOS facilities surveyed on or after that date can only obtain a one-year accreditation. This shifts accreditation from a three-year cycle to an annual cycle—and makes continuous readiness more important than ever.

Three Important Accreditation Changes Take Effect October 15, 2026

1️⃣ Updated Accreditation Standards

No new standards have been added. Instead, the existing Standards have been rewritten, consolidated, or removed to eliminate redundancy and ensure all applicable CMS DMEPOS Quality and Supplier Standards are incorporated.

⭕ One unified set of standards: All facilities will transition to one set of patient care accreditation standards

🚫 Mastectomy-only standards discontinued: A separate set of mastectomy-only standards will no longer be available.

Facilities should review the updated standards and confirm that their policies, procedures, and operations align with the unified requirements.

2️⃣ New Simplified Fee Structure

ABC is streamlining the process by consolidating the annual application and survey fees into a single accreditation fee.

The change creates one payment and one application for each annual accreditation cycle. Affiliate designations are also being eliminated, so each patient care location will submit its own application and be treated as an individual facility and assessed the applicable fee.

3️⃣ Facility Contacts Will Use Individual My ABC Logins

Beginning October 15, facility-specific accounts will only be accessible via an individual My ABC login. The facility’s primary contact and other authorized facility users should sign in with their individual My ABC account credentials to view their facility’s account information.

Know Your Transition Timeline

• Facilities expiring in 2027: Submit your application and accreditation fee by January 15, 2027. Separate correspondence outlining the process and fee will be emailed to all facility points of contact on file.
• Facilities expiring in 2028: Pay your 2027 annual fee by December 1, 2026. This will be the final year under the separate fee model. Note: You will pay the new single accreditation fee beginning with your next accreditation cycle.
• New facilities: Apply only when the location is fully compliant and ready for an unannounced onsite survey. Submitting the application confirms survey readiness.

Facilities that submit after the deadline will be assessed a $500 late fee.

Your Role in Staying Ready

Certified professionals are often central to facility compliance. Help your organization prepare by reviewing the standards now, addressing recurring gaps, confirming that policies and procedures are up to date, and ensuring staff can respond quickly to survey findings. When a CAP is required, submit complete corrective action materials—not blank forms, templates or unsupported attestations. Providing proper documentation for the deficiencies increases your chances of getting your CAP approved on the first try.

Also, verify that ABC has current contact information for every facility you oversee. Fee and application notices will be sent to all points of contact on file. If your facility’s primary contact has changed, please submit a Primary Contact Additions form to ensure important deadlines and accreditation updates reach the right people.

Reminders About CMS Changes to Corrective Action Plans (CAPs)

• Facilities must achieve full compliance to receive accreditation.
• Any non-compliant or partially compliant finding will require a Corrective Action Plan (CAP).
• Organizations have only two weeks from the date they receive the survey results via email to submit a complete CAP.
• Accreditation will not be awarded until the CAP is approved.
• Temporary accreditation during CAP review is no longer available.
• Accreditation expiration dates cannot be extended.
• A lapse in accreditation may affect Medicare billing privileges.

Accreditation Questions? Contact our Accreditation Team anytime at accreditation@abcop.org or (703) 836-7114.