Deemed status accreditation of nonhospital-based ambulatory surgery centers.

Ambulatory surgery is a fast expanding arena for health care delivery. Reimbursement for services is required for continued existence, and reimbursement is directly related to accreditation. However, at the present time only hospitals receive automatic recognition from Medicare for voluntary accreditation efforts. This article defines and describes the many regulatory agencies that impact on the ability to obtain accreditation. Deemed status for freestanding ambulatory care facilities is examined.