What is CHAP accreditation? A guide for home health agencies (2026)

What CHAP is, how its accreditation replaces the state Medicare survey for home health, the four steps to get it, and how it compares with ACHC.

Author

Enzo Health Team

Enzo Health

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Read Time: 3 min read

Date: November 5, 2026

The short answer. For home health, a CHAP survey can stand in for the state survey that checks your agency against Medicare's rules [2]. That works because CMS gave CHAP deeming authority, and an agency it accredits is "deemed" to meet the Medicare conditions of participation. CHAP, the Community Health Accreditation Program, is a nonprofit that accredits home and community-based care organizations [1]. ACHC holds the same deeming authority for home health [3].

Key takeaways

You choose: CHAP offers deemed and non-deemed accreditation, and deemed status is what substitutes for the Medicare survey [2].
There are four steps, and CHAP's page gives no timeline [2].
A deemed agency can still get a state validation survey, by sample or after a serious complaint [4].
ACHC also holds CMS deeming authority for home health [3].

What does CHAP accreditation mean for a home health agency?

Two things, depending on which kind you choose.

Deemed status. CHAP surveys you against Medicare's conditions of participation for home health, and its survey substitutes for federal and state inspections [2].
Accreditation without deemed status. CHAP offers both: "Deemed or Non-Deemed, the choice is yours" [2]. On state licensing, CHAP says: "Many states accept CHAP surveys in lieu of ongoing licensure surveys, and some states require accreditation" [1].

How does an agency get CHAP accredited?

CHAP lays out four steps [2].

Application and agreement. You apply and sign the agreement.
Preparation and readiness. You prepare against CHAP's standards, which cross-reference the CMS regulations, and finish with a readiness call.
On-site survey. CHAP surveyors visit and review your agency against the standards.
Accreditation decision. Approval, or a plan of correction to fix what the survey found.

CHAP's page does not say how long any of this takes. Ask for the dates in writing.

How does CHAP compare with ACHC?

Both hold CMS deeming authority for home health.

Deeming authority. ACHC says it was "granted deeming authority" for home health in 2006 [3]. CHAP says it holds deeming authority from CMS [2].
After the survey. ACHC sends the final survey report within 10 business days of the last survey day, and your plan of correction is due within 30 days of that report [3]. CHAP's last step is the accreditation decision, approval or a plan of correction, with no timeline stated [2].

Ask each body three things: what the survey covers, how long from application to decision, and what it costs over a full accreditation term.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

CHAP, About. chapinc.org/about (read Nov 2, 2026)
CHAP, Home health accreditation. chapinc.org/services/home-health (read Nov 2, 2026)
ACHC, Home health. achc.org/home-health (read Nov 2, 2026)
42 CFR 488.9(a), Validation survey of accredited providers. law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/42/488.9 (read Nov 2, 2026)
Federal Register, 91 FR 27954, May 15, 2026, Notice 2026-09717, Nationwide Temporary Moratoria on Enrollment of Home Health Agencies, effective May 13, 2026. govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-05-15/html/2026-09717.htm (read Nov 2, 2026)
42 CFR 488.8, Ongoing review of accrediting organizations. law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/42/488.8 (read Nov 2, 2026)
Enzo, EHR. enzo.health/ehr (read Nov 4, 2026)