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Short answer: HQAA is the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation, one of eight organizations on the CMS list of approved DMEPOS accreditation organizations (list updated 01/09/2026). That list shows HQAA approved for all DMEPOS products and services. HQAA itself offers two programs, Full Line HME and Limited HME, for HME/DME suppliers and pharmacies.
General information only, not legal, billing or medical advice. Program details are as published by CMS and HQAA on the dates shown under Sources.
Definition and scope
HQAA (Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation) is an accreditation organization based in Waterloo, Iowa. The CMS list names it fourth of eight CMS-approved DMEPOS accreditation organizations, with the website www.hqaa.org. DMEPOS means durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies. For the wider rule on who needs accreditation and who is exempt, read the guide to DMEPOS accreditation; this page covers only HQAA.
Accreditation here is a supplier-level status. It describes a business that supplies equipment, not a laboratory instrument or a single product. HQAA’s own pages describe its services as HME/DME accreditation and, for pharmacies, Full Line HME and Limited HME programs.
How HQAA accreditation works in practice
HQAA describes a web-based process with individual coaching. Its process page lays out these stages, in this order:
- Meet your coach. After HQAA accepts the application, the organization receives an accreditation coach and designates a Workroom Manager as the main contact.
- Complete the online Workroom. The Workroom Manager works through the policy and procedure manual documents one at a time. The coach compares each upload with the criteria in the HQAA standard and says whether it meets them or what is missing.
- Prepare for the survey. Once the Workroom is complete, the organization fills in a pre-survey form and has a short telephone interview with a surveyor, who reviews the Workroom documentation.
- Survey and accreditation. HQAA states that its on-site surveys are unannounced and include observation of patient care and processes, in addition to checking the submitted documentation.
HQAA states that the length depends on the company, its products and services, and the time the Workroom Manager gives it, and that document review averages three to six months. These pages publish no fee; they ask applicants to request an investment summary.
Full Line and Limited programs
HQAA splits its HME/DME accreditation into two models. Its provider page defines them as follows.
| Item | Full Line HME | Limited HME |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | HME/DME suppliers providing full line HME products that are rented monthly or purchased | Suppliers providing limited HME products, for example a pharmacy that has no DMEPOS warehouse, no rental delivery or set-up in residences, no preventive maintenance, repair, testing or loans, and no after-hours on-call support |
| Core standards | Ten: Organization and Administration; Program and Service Operations; Financial Stability; Human Resources; Infection Control and Safety; Quality Monitoring and Performance Improvement; Billing and Collections; Provision of Services; Materials Management; Mail Order | An abridged version of the core standards |
| Options by business | Delivery and Set-up; Retail Services; Rehabilitation Services (complex rehab); Clinical Respiratory Services; Custom Orthotics | Retail Services |
| Product codes | All product codes available | A listed subset, for example M01 Canes and Crutches, M05 Walkers, S01 Surgical Dressings and PD06 Ostomy Supplies |
What CMS approves HQAA to accredit
The CMS list gives each organization an “Approved Categories” entry. For HQAA it reads “All DMEPOS products and services”, defined by Section I (supplier business service requirements), Section II (supplier product-specific service requirements), and Appendices A, B and C. Appendix A covers respiratory equipment, supplies and services. Appendix B covers manual wheelchairs, power mobility devices, and complex rehabilitative wheelchairs and assistive technology. Appendix C covers custom fabricated and custom fitted orthoses, prosthetic devices, external breast prostheses, therapeutic shoes and inserts, and their accessories and supplies, plus custom-made somatic, ocular and facial prostheses.
Not every organization on the list has the same scope. The CMS list shows NABP approved for Section I, Section II, Appendix A and Appendix C, with no Appendix B entry, while the other seven, including HQAA, are listed with all five parts. HQAA’s Limited program is narrower than its CMS approval: the approval covers all categories, but the Limited program includes only the product codes HQAA lists.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
- Reading a supplier’s credentials. If a supplier of medical equipment names HQAA as its accreditor, the CMS list is where HQAA’s status as a CMS-approved DMEPOS accreditation organization is shown. See the DMEPOS accreditation guide for the other seven.
- Matching standards to a concern. HQAA’s ten Full Line core standards include Infection Control and Safety and Materials Management. The names show the topics the standard covers; they are not a statement about any supplier’s results.
- Billing context. Accreditation sits alongside Medicare enrollment, coding and ordering paperwork, covered in What Is PECOS?, HCPCS Level II codes and What Is a CMN?.
Common misunderstandings
- HQAA is not CMS. The CMS list calls these “CMS-approved DMEPOS accreditation organizations”: CMS approves them, and each accredits suppliers under its own standard.
- Accreditation is not a quality ranking. The CMS list says which categories an organization is approved for. It does not rank the eight organizations or any accredited supplier.
- HQAA is not the Joint Commission, ACHC or CHAP. Each is a separate organization with its own address on the CMS list.
- Limited does not mean unapproved. Limited HME is an HQAA program model, defined by the supplier’s operations, not a CMS category.
FAQ
What does HQAA stand for?
Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation, as named on the CMS list updated 01/09/2026.
Is HQAA approved by CMS?
Yes. It is listed fourth among the eight CMS-approved DMEPOS accreditation organizations, with approved categories “All DMEPOS products and services”.
Who is HQAA’s Limited program for?
Suppliers such as a pharmacy with no DMEPOS warehouse, no rental delivery or set-up in residences, no maintenance, repair, testing or loans, and no after-hours on-call support, per HQAA’s provider page.
How long does HQAA accreditation take?
HQAA says it depends on the company, its products and services, and Workroom Manager time, and that document review averages three to six months. HQAA’s pages give no total timeline or fee.
Sources
- CMS, “DMEPOS Accreditation Organizations”, updated 01/09/2026, checked 2026-11-01: https://edit.cms.gov/files/document/dmepos-accreditation-organizations.pdf
- HQAA, “Our process”, checked 2026-11-01: https://info.hqaa.org/our-process
- HQAA, “HME/DME providers” (Full Line and Limited programs), checked 2026-11-01: https://info.hqaa.org/providers-hme
- HQAA, “Services”, checked 2026-11-01: https://info.hqaa.org/services
