URAC

URAC is a Washington DC-based non-profit organization[1] that helps promote health care quality through the accreditation of organizations involved in medical care services, as well as by offering education and measurement programs. Founded under the name Utilization Review Accreditation Commission in 1990, the name "was shortened to the acronym URAC in 1996 when it began accrediting other types of organizations such as health plans, pharmacies, and provider organizations".[2]

URAC
TypeNonprofit
IndustryHealthcare
Founded1990
Headquarters
Washington, DC
,
United States
Key people
Shawn Griffin, MD, President and CEO
ProductsAccreditation, Education and Measurement Services
Number of employees
over 60
Websitewww.urac.org

URAC accreditation is given to an organization for a period of up to three years.[3] An organization must go through a review again after this period expires in order to maintain their accredited status.

It is noted that "[t]he amount of time it takes for an organization to prepare an application... may vary depending on whether the appropriate work processes, policies, and procedures are in place" and "the type of accreditation you are seeking". The website states that it "usually takes four to six months to complete an accreditation review once URAC receives your completed application".[4]

Accreditation standards for URAC programs are developed by independent experts, relying on advisory committees of experts in health care delivery. After internal discussion, the organization makes them available for public comment, refines them further based on comments, then passes them to URAC's independent advisory group for approval. URAC's board of directors gives final approval of accreditation standards. Typically these standards are updated every three years, so as to stay up to date with changes in the health care field.[5][6]

Accreditation programs

As of February 2022, the URAC website listed that it offered over 50 accreditation & certification programs in six key specialty areas:[7]

  • Pharmacy (14)
  • Patient Care Management (11)
  • Administrative Management (12)
  • Digital Health and Telehealth (6)
  • Health Plan (10)
  • Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity (3)

specifically including, but not limited to: [8]

  • Case Management
  • Clinically Integrated Network
  • Community Pharmacy
  • Contact Center Certification
  • Credentials Verification Organization
  • Dental Network
  • Dental Plan
  • Disease Management
  • Drug Therapy Management
  • Employer-Based Population Health
  • Health Call Center
  • Health Care Management Certification
  • Health Content Provider Certification
  • Health Network
  • Health Plan
  • Health Plan with Long-Term Services and Supports
  • Health Utilization Management
  • Health Website Accreditation
  • Independent Medical Examination
  • Independent Review Organization
  • Infusion Pharmacy
  • Integrated Behavioral Health Designation
  • Mail Service Pharmacy
  • Marketplace Health Plan
  • Measurement-Based Care Designation
  • Medicaid Health Plan
  • Medicaid with Long-Term Services and Supports
  • Medicare Advantage
  • Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Supplier
  • Mental Health Parity
  • Opioid Stewardship Designation
  • Parity Guide
  • Parity Manager
  • Patient-Centered Medical Home Certification
  • Pharmacy Benefit Management
  • Provider-Based Population Health
  • Rare Disease Designation
  • Remote Patient Monitoring
  • Small Health Plan
  • Small Mail Service Pharmacy
  • Small Specialty Pharmacy
  • Specialty Pharmacy
  • Specialty Pharmacy Services
  • Specialty Physician Practice Dispensing
  • Telehealth
  • Telehealth Support Services Certification
  • Transitions Of Care Designation
  • Workers’ Compensation and Property & Casualty Pharmacy Benefit Management
  • Workers’ Compensation Utilization Management

Educational programs include workshops, conferences, webinars and audio conferences open to individuals and companies in the health care industry. These programs cover best practices in URAC accreditation, and news on issues in health care presented by industry professionals and URAC staff.[9]

References
  1. "What is URAC & Why is It Important for Specialty Pharmacies?". blog.avella.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  2. "Frequently Asked Questions - URAC". URAC. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  3. "Frequently Asked Questions - URAC". URAC. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  4. "Frequently Asked Questions - URAC". URAC. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  5. "Frequently Asked Questions - URAC". URAC. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  6. "Health Website Accreditation from URAC". Webmd.com. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
  7. "Accreditation & Certification Programs". URAC. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  8. "URAC Accreditation & Certification Programs - URAC". URAC. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  9. "Education & Events - URAC". URAC. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
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