ACHC Surveyor Spring 2014 | Page 9

THE [ SLEEP ] [ UnitedHealthcare® Accepts ACHC in the Southeast Region UnitedHealthcare has accepted ACHC’s Sleep Accreditation program for its providers in the Southeast Region. This region includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. UnitedHealthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group, is the largest health carrier in the U. S. With the addition of ACHC to its list of accepted organizations, individuals covered by UnitedHealthcare in the Southeast Region have the ability to choose from a large selection of Sleep providers, including those accredited by ACHC. SURVEYOR I SPRING 2014 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ] BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOME CARE ACCREDITATION Psychiatric/Behavioral Health Home Care (BHHC) is the integration of behavioral health interventions into traditional Home Health services. Since releasing the Psychiatric/BHHC standards, ACHC has accredited 56 BHHC locations across 7 states. Those numbers continue to rise as ACHC continues to expand the Behavioral Health accreditation services. ACHC’s Sleep Lab and Home Sleep Testing standards have been developed with the relevant and realistic needs of the provider in mind. “Due to the increasing frequency of Obstructive Sleep Apnea diagnoses in the U.S., many payor sources now require accreditation to help improve the quality of patient care while controlling the costs associated with testing” said Tim Safley, ACHC Director of DMEPOS, Pharmacy, and Sleep. “The decision by UnitedHealthcare to accept ACHC’s Sleep program is an important achievement for our organization and reflects our commitment to providing standards that align with the needs of providers, payor sources, and patients alike.” Benefits of BHHC accreditation:  Meeting the needs of a growing patient demographic  Meeting the increasing demand for integrated care with the following advantage: Cost savings by combining physical and behavioral health care in one service  Demonstrating to patients/physicians a