How is health care quality assured?
State regulatory agencies license health care providers. They also survey and certify health care organizations to ensure the delivery of safe care. Additionally, CMS surveys and certifies health care facilities for compliance with their quality standards. Health care facilities can voluntarily choose to be reviewed for accreditation which indicates that they meet performance standards set by an external organization (e.g., the Joint Commission accreditation of hospitals). To participate in the Medicare program, hospitals must be accredited by the Joint Commission or federally certified. Rural hospitals are less likely to seek accreditation than their urban counterparts and often choose instead to be federally certified through state survey processes.
