CPCS - Certified Provider Credentialing Specialist Accreditation Standards and Compliance Questions and Answers

Question 1

A rural hospital (originating site) enters into a written agreement to use a neurology group from a distant-site, TJC-accredited hospital. To comply with CMS Conditions of Participation for credentialing by proxy, which of the following is required?

Accepted Answer

The distant-site hospital must be a Medicare-participating hospital and provide a list of the neurologist's current privileges.

Answer

According to CMS Conditions of Participation (42 CFR §482.22), when credentialing by proxy for telemedicine, the originating-site hospital can rely on the distant-site hospital's credentialing decisions if there is a written agreement. This agreement must ensure that the distant-site hospital is a Medicare-participating hospital and that it provides the originating-site hospital with a current list of the practitioner's privileges.

Question 2

A hospital activates its emergency operations plan due to a mass casualty event. A volunteer physician arrives to help. According to The Joint Commission (TJC) standards for disaster privileges, which two items are the minimum necessary for the hospital to verify before granting the physician privileges?

Accepted Answer

A valid government-issued photo ID and a current, valid license.

Answer

The Joint Commission standard EM.02.02.13 outlines a streamlined process for granting disaster privileges. The absolute minimum verification required is a valid government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver's license, passport) to confirm identity and at least one primary source verification of a credential, which is most often the practitioner's current license to practice.

Question 3

A Managed Care Organization (MCO) delegates the verification of provider credentials to a CVO. According to NCQA standards, which of the following responsibilities must the MCO ultimately retain?

Accepted Answer

The final authority to make all credentialing decisions.

Answer

While NCQA allows for the delegation of credentialing tasks like primary source verification, it explicitly states that the delegating organization (the MCO) must retain the final authority and responsibility for all credentialing decisions. This critical function cannot be delegated.

Question 4

A physician is notified that the Medical Executive Committee has recommended the termination of their clinical privileges due to quality of care concerns. Under the Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA), the physician is entitled to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A fair hearing and appellate review process.

Answer

The Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA) provides immunity to healthcare entities for peer review actions but requires that they provide due process to the affected practitioner. This includes adequate notice and the right to a fair hearing and an appellate review process before a final adverse action is taken and reported.

Question 5

A hospital needs to grant temporary privileges to a locum tenens physician to fill an urgent and unexpected vacancy. According to The Joint Commission (TJC), which of the following must be completed BEFORE the physician begins work?

Accepted Answer

Verification of a current, valid license and a query of the NPDB.

Answer

The Joint Commission allows for the granting of temporary privileges to meet an important patient care need. However, before these privileges can be exercised, the hospital must, at a minimum, verify that the practitioner has a current, valid license and must query the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). This ensures basic safety standards are met even in an expedited process.

CPCS - Certified Provider Credentialing Specialist Practice Test

CPCS - Certified Provider Credentialing Specialist Practice Test

CPCS - Certified Provider Credentialing Specialist Accreditation Standards and Compliance Questions and Answers