Top FAQs

Please allow up to four weeks for your application to be processed. We will send you a notice of your eligibility status via email. You may also check your application status by logging in to your My ABC account.

NCOPE will provide confirmation of your residency completion to ABC.

We will defer your exam fees to the subsequent cycle. If we do not receive the required documents by the deadline for the next cycle, your application will be denied, and a refund of your exam fee(s) will be issued.  It is your responsibility to reapply for eligibility with the required fees.

Availability at the testing centers is on a first come, first served basis. If you are having difficulty finding a location near you, please contact us at certification@abcop.org.

Certificates are mailed four weeks after the conclusion of the exam cycle.

Yes – Your facility must be currently seeing patients. New businesses must have a minimum of five complete patient charts, from either cash paying patients or from those wishing to use a third-party payer. However, be sure to check with the third-party payers to make sure your facility meets their requirements prior to billing.

The following documents must be uploaded and submitted with your online application.

•        All non-ABC certificates and licenses (if applicable)

•        Legal documentation of ownership (e.g., Articles of Incorporation, IRS tax form)

•        Business license, business permit or occupancy permit

•        Copy of surety bond

•        Your ENTIRE Policy & Procedure Manual

•        Your ENTIRE Employee Manual

•        Mission statement
  
  

These documents must be submitted within the online application portal NOT via email, fax or regular mail. For larger documents, you can split them into multiple scanned sections or zipped files. We understand that these can be very large files, but your entire P&P manual must be submitted. The submission of partial documents does not meet our requirements. If you have combined some of your documents, such as your policies, procedures and employee manuals into a single document, that is perfectly acceptable.

Surveyors review your uploaded documents prior to conducting your facility’s onsite survey. Being able to review documents in advance makes the survey process more efficient and allows time for the surveyor to provide valuable feedback in person.

You should review and update your manuals every year, and it is essential that you maintain electronic copies of these documents. Your contingency plan should prioritize accessibility to these documents. We strongly recommend having electronic backups or scanned versions readily available, ensuring seamless access when needed.

You must have the appropriate personnel on staff before submitting your application.

If you plan to move during the accreditation process and have already submitted your application, please be aware that your onsite survey is unannounced and unscheduled to be compliant with Medicare requirements. If your survey occurs before your move, then you must submit another application and onsite survey. We must survey each physical address, so we recommend you complete your move prior to submitting your application, this eliminates the need to submit additional applications or fees.

If granted full accreditation, your accreditation will be valid for five years.

No. CMS requires that all patient care accreditation surveys be unannounced and unscheduled. For central fabrication facilities, surveyors will schedule the survey with the survey contact.

Privileging refers to giving an individual permission or ‘privileges’ to engage in specified clinical activities. ABC defines how a credentialed person may be allowed, under supervision, to provide items and services outside of their scope of practice. That privileging process is described in detail in the ABC Orthotic, Prosthetic and Pedorthic Scope of Practice.

Category I credits are preapproved by ABC for your specific credential. 

Category II credits can be one of two types of credits:

1. A Category I course that has been preapproved by ABC, but is outside your scope of practice
   
   OR
   
   
2. A course that has not been preapproved by ABC but is directly relevant to your credential

For all #2 course types, it is your responsibility to report your Category II credits (along with the appropriate documentation) via your MY ABC account to receive credit for that activity. Simply log in to your account and click the Report my Category II Credits link under the My Certifications section.

Credits cannot be rolled over; however, if you complete your credits before your cycle ends, you can request to start your new cycle early. A link to the Start My Next CE Cycle Request Form will be available in your MY ABC account if you have completed your credit requirements and are eligible to start a new cycle. This request form must be submitted 30 days prior to your requested date.

You do not need to request a new cycle at the end of each cycle. If you have completed your credits, we automatically send you a new certificate.

If you do not complete your credits, you will be placed on suspension which means that you cannot use your credential for patient care. You will also be assessed penalty credits (1/5 of your total credits) which must be completed along with your outstanding credits. If you do not complete the outstanding and penalty credits in one year, your credential will be revoked, and you may only be reinstated by taking the necessary exams again.

The individual or business must be credentialed by ABC, an NCOPE resident or a certification/accreditation applicant. Active credentialed individuals or facilities can be verified in our online Directory.

An official Complaint Form must be completed, signed and submitted. ABC does not accept anonymous complaints. Once a completed complaint form is received, it is reviewed at the next monthly meeting of the Professional Ethics Committee. If the committee believes the complaint reveals a possible ethical violation of the Code, then a case will be opened and a copy of the complaint will be shared with the ABC credential holder.