Also Known As:
Community Health Accreditation Partner, CHAP accreditation, hospice accreditation
Type:
Independent quality accreditation body
Primary Purpose:
To verify that a hospice agency meets, and exceeds, federal Medicare standards for patient safety, care quality, staff training, and clinical excellence.
When It Applies:
Hospice agencies pursue and renew CHAP accreditation voluntarily; reaccreditation occurs every three years.
Who Is Involved:
CHAP surveyors, the hospice agency’s clinical and administrative leadership, and the staff providing patient care.
Where It Occurs:
On-site agency surveys plus chart audits and patient-family feedback.
Duration:
Three-year accreditation cycles.
Coverage:
Accreditation is a quality credential, not a payer, but CHAP-accredited agencies are typically considered preferred by referring physicians and hospital networks.
Key Focus:
Patient safety, clinical excellence, leadership accountability, staff competency, and ongoing performance improvement.
Common Misunderstanding:
Medicare certification is the minimum requirement. CHAP accreditation is voluntary and far more rigorous, and not every hospice has it.
What CHAP Accreditation Actually Means
CHAP, the Community Health Accreditation Partner, is one of two organizations authorized by CMS to accredit hospice agencies in the United States. CHAP-accredited hospices have voluntarily agreed to be measured against standards that go beyond Medicare’s baseline requirements, with on-site surveys, chart audits, and clinical reviews every three years.
At Lifted, we are CHAP-accredited through October 2027 for our Dallas-Fort Worth operations. Read more about what that accreditation looks like in practice.
CMS Defines the Floor. CHAP Defines the Ceiling.
Every hospice that bills Medicare meets the same federal minimum standards, staffing requirements, documentation rules, frequency-of-visit baselines. That minimum is what families assume they are getting when they hear the words Medicare-certified.
CHAP accreditation is different. It is voluntary, more rigorous, and audited by an outside body. It looks at how often the team actually shows up versus how often they were required to. It looks at how mistakes are owned and corrected. It looks at staff turnover, training, and patient outcomes, not just whether the paperwork is in order.
Why Accreditation Should Influence Your Hospice Choice
If you are evaluating hospice providers in Texas, ask three questions:
- Are you Medicare-certified? (Required minimum.)
- Are you CHAP-accredited or Joint Commission-accredited? (Voluntary, additional quality bar.)
- What does that accreditation require you to do that other hospices don’t?
The third question is the one that tells you the most. See our full guide on how to choose a hospice.