A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO MAKE CHANGES TO NATIONAL ACCREDITATION BENCHMARK REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN MEDICAID ENROLLED FACILITIES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 122C‑81(d) reads as rewritten:
"(d)	Providers enrolled in the Medicaid program or contracting for State‑funded services on or after July 1, 2008, and providing services which require national accreditation shall successfully complete all accreditation requirements and be awarded national accreditation within  18 months of enrollment in the Medicaid program or within two years following the provider's first contract to deliver a State‑funded service requiring national accreditation. Providers providing services that require national accreditation shall be required to discontinue service delivery and shall have their Medicaid enrollment and any service contracts terminated if they do not meet the following benchmarks for demonstrating sufficient progress in achieving national accreditation following the date of enrollment in the Medicaid program or initial contract for State‑funded services:
(1)	Six months – On‑site accreditation review scheduled by accrediting agency as documented by a letter from the agency to the provider and completion of self‑study and self‑evaluation protocols distributed by the selected accrediting agency.
(2)	Twelve months – On‑site accreditation review scheduled by accrediting agency as documented by a letter from the agency to the provider.
(3)	Fifteen months – Completion of on‑site accreditation review, receipt of initial feedback from accrediting agency, plan to address any deficiencies identified developed.
(4)	If a provider's Medicaid enrollment or service delivery contracts are terminated as a result of failure to meet accreditation benchmarks or failure to continue to be nationally accredited, the provider will work with the LME to transition consumers served by the provider to other service providers in an orderly fashion within 60 days of notification by the LME of such failure.
(5)	A provider that has its Medicaid enrollment or service delivery contracts terminated as a result of failure to meet accreditation benchmarks or failure to continue to be nationally accredited may not reapply for enrollment in the Medicaid program or enter into any new service delivery contracts for at least one year following enrollment or contract termination."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.