JULY 2009 DEADLINE SET FOR OFFICE-BASED SURGERY ACCREDITATION
The Department of Health adopted a committee report in 2000 recommending voluntary clinical guidelines for office-based surgery to serve as an appropriate standard of care, excluding minor procedures. All physicians who perform office-based surgeries under general anesthesia, moderate sedation, or deep sedation, and any liposuction procedure must be accredited by one of the following nationally recognized agencies: AAAASF, AAAHC, JCAHO or AMAP. The bill was signed by Eliot Spitzer in 2007.
Office-Based Surgery (OBS) is defined as any "surgical or other invasive procedure, requiring general anesthesia, moderate sedation, or deep sedation, and any liposuction procedure, where such surgical or other invasive procedure or liposuction is performed by a licensee in a location other than a hospital. This excludes minor procedures and procedures requiring minimal local sedation.
For example, a gastroenterologist will no longer be able to perform colonoscopies in their office without the accreditation. Plastic surgeons can no longer perform liposuction in their office without OBS certification.
Things to Know About Accreditation:
- If you are not looking into accreditation now, you will not make the deadline.
- If you are not accredited by July 2009, your claims may be denied.
- You may want to consider utilizing a consultant to assist you in accreditation.
- Review all contracts signed with consultants to make sure you understand maintenance fees.
- If you are moving, your accreditation can move with you.
- There is a limit to the amount of physicians each certificate can cover.
- You need to quantify how many surgical procedures you do under moderate and deep sedation.
- Does accreditation pay? Can you go to a surgi-center?
