Joint Commission Announces Plans to Increase 2005 Survey Fees

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- Citing the need to make further investments in the new accreditation process that was introduced this year, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) Board of Commissioners today approved overall 2005 survey fee increases across all of the organizations accreditation programs.   

The fee increases, only the second in the last decade, will vary by program and, within programs, will vary by the types and volumes of services provided. The Joint Commission also announced plans to institute a subscription billing model in 2006 that will allow accredited organizations to begin to spread their survey fees over the three-year accreditation cycle. 

 The expense management efforts that have made possible the recent value-enhancing investments in the Joint Commissions accreditation products can no longer alone permit us to provide the level of support and service that accredited organizations are, quite appropriately, seeking, says Dennis S. OLeary, MD, president of the Joint Commission.  To consolidate and advance the improvements that have been achieved, we need to identify and carefully deploy new resources.

The actual new fee schedule will become available later this month.  Estimated average triennial survey fee increases, by program, are as follows:

                                    Critical Access Hospitals                      $ 300

                                    Laboratories *                                         590

                                    Assisted Living                            610

                                    Ambulatory Care                                     810

                                    Long Term Care                                      815

                                    Home Care                                             880

                                    Behavioral Health Care           $1,065

                                    Hospitals                                              2,700

                                    Networks                                             3,000

* Estimated average biennial survey fee increase

Hospital and Network program fees are proportionately higher because of the substantially greater overall complexity of these surveys.

Also on January 1, 2005, the Joint Commission will begin adding a certified healthcare engineer to surveys of hospitals having 200 or more beds.  The intent of this change is to enhance the Joint Commissions ability to evaluate hospital compliance with Life Safety Code and physical plant requirements. The additional survey fee for this survey team enhancement will be $3,500.

Source: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations