5. Discuss the difference between accreditation and certification. Discuss why a health plan may or may not participate in a voluntary accreditation program. In the healthcare industry, accreditation and certification are related but not interchangeable. Certification is a particular set of skills according to an established criterion that a certified individual should have the competence to perform. In most cases, certification includes testing; however, certification may also include or be based solely on training and experience. (Roat, 2006). On the other hand, accreditation is usually obtained and applied to an entire organization rather than individuals. Within an accredited organization, there may be certified individuals and programs. However, certification can become problematic when it excludes individuals who are competent but have poor test scores who may be eligible for accreditation; as a result, some health plans may or may not voluntarily participate in accreditation programs. When organizations become accredited there is the potential to “improve organizational performance, quality of care, safety standards and consumer satisfaction” (Braithwaite, 2011). Furthermore, Braithwaite (2011) suggests that accreditation programs can promote change in the standardization of organizational services and processes (p.3); however there is not much evidence to support these findings. Furthermore, accreditation programs usually give the seal of approval, so voluntary participation can backfire on an organization because particular aspects can be overlooked or focused on causing some kind of consequence such as probation or, even worse, loss of employment. 'accreditation.6. What is forensic accounting? What are some of the main differences between statutory...... middle of paper......suaVaradan, S. (n.d.). What are the differences between mandatory accounting standards and GAAP? Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_4884642_between-statutory-accounting-principles-gaap.htmlAcharya, V., Biggs, J., Richardson, M., & Ryan, S. (2009). On the financial regulation of insurance companies. Retrieved from http://www-vs.stern.nyu.edu/cons/groups/content/documents/document/con_030706.pdf Braithwaite, J., Westbrook, J., Johnston, B., Clark, S., Brandon , M., Banks, M., & ... Moldavo, M. (2011). Strengthening organizational performance through accreditation research: A framework for twelve interconnected studies: The ACCREDIT project study protocol. BMC Research Notes, 4390.Roat, C., (2006) Certification of healthcare interpreters in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.calendow.org/uploadedFiles/certification_of_health_care_interpretors.pdf