DSMES Accreditation and Recognition Process

Accreditation and recognition processes help ensure that DSMES services offer quality education. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has authorized two organizations, the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA), to grant accreditation or recognition. ADCES uses the term accreditation, while ADA uses the term recognition.

Each certifying body has a formal application process and requires supporting documentation. ADCES and ADA require a fee with applications. The certifying bodies also require annual reports and renewals and have a process for auditing existing programs to ensure continued conformance with accreditation/recognition criteria. Both have volunteer auditors who are trained reviewers and conduct random program audits. Each program is also uniquely identified by a related acronym— ADCES uses “DEAP” for Diabetes Education Accreditation Program and ADA uses “ERP” for Education Recognition Program.

Additional comparisons are described under the ADCES and ADA Requirements for Each Standard section, which offers a more detailed review of the similarities and differences related to each of the standards between ADCES and ADA.

Being an accredited or recognized service benefits DSMES providers in many ways, including:

• The ability to bill for DSMT (see note below) through Medicare, some state Medicaid agencies, and many private insurers.
• Improved care and health status reporting.
• Alignment with quality improvement and population health goals.
• Access to ADCES or ADA resources and support.

*Note: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) uses the term “training” (DSMT) instead of “education and support” (DSMES) when defining the reimbursable benefit (DSMT). This term relates specifically to Medicare billing.

For further information on a comparison of the processes for accreditation and recognition, view Comparing the Processes: Accreditation and Recognition

Use the following resources to become more familiar with the application process for both ADCES and ADA.