The Basics

This simple standard requires that your organization provide free telephone service at least from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. each business day.  This is true for every time zone in which your organization has at least 2% of its business.  In addition, your policies and procedures must specify how your organization receives calls after those hours, and what the procedure is in the case of expedited cases.  So, make sure that you have located and reviewed your organization's policies and procedures dealing with your hours of service, after hours call, and expedited cases.

Management Tips

Make sure your policies and procedures address all three components of the standard:

• hours of service;
• after hours calls; and
• expedited cases.

Note that you don't have to staff your phones 24/7.  Rather, you can have alternative means of dealing with calls and faxes that come in during hours other than normal business hours.

One requirement not in the standard but in the explanatory materials that URAC provides is the capacity to receive facsimiles.  Make sure at least one of your policies and procedures addresses this issue.

URAC Accreditation Tips

The first two elements of the standard are worth two points; the third element is worth three points.

All you need to submit for the desktop review is the applicable policy and procedure addressing all three essential elements of this standard.

While the interpretive guide says that the reviewer will look for compliance with the standard in her review of the 30 randomly selected case files, the heart of her review for this standard will come in her interview of your staff members and their review of your complaint log.