Q&A: A resident on a Medicare Part A stay discharged return not anticipated. His last covered day of Medicare was the day before. Can I combine the Part A PPS Discharge with the OBRA discharged return not anticipated?

MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Q&A

Question: A resident on a Medicare Part A stay discharged return not anticipated. His last covered day of Medicare was the day before. Can I combine the Part A PPS Discharge with the OBRA discharged return not anticipated? Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC: Yes, when a …

Q&A: For section GG documentation, the direct care staff was given the wrong dates. It was supposed to be the ARD and the two days before, but they did the first 3 days of the look-back period. Am I able to use any of the GG documentation they completed?

MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Q&A

Question: For section GG documentation, the direct care staff was given the wrong dates. It was supposed to be the ARD and the two days before, but they did the first 3 days of the look-back period. Am I able to use any of the GG documentation they completed? Answer …

Know the Rules, Win the Fight: Inside SNF Medicare Appeals

Billing and Reimbursement / NAC / Podcast

In this LTC NAC Chat podcast episode, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, discuss the Medicare appeals process in skilled nursing facilities. Additional Resources:

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TIP: CMS Released Updated Draft MDS Item Sets for Oct. 2025

MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Tip

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the updated draft Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Item Sets version (v)1.20.1v3-Section and updated Matrix. The newly added section R has been removed with this update. CMS noted that this version of the MDS v1.20.1 item sets (v3) does not …

Outbreak Management in Long-Term Care – June 26, 2025

DNS / NAC / On-demand Webinar

Members and Non-members: FreeContinuing Education: 1 CE hourRecording Date: June 26, 2025 Duration: 60 minutesSpeakers: Joan N. Hebden, MS, RN, CIC, FAPIC, FSHEA, and Marko Predic, MS, CIC, FAPIC Outbreaks may represent a single case of a disease (e.g., legionella) or an increase in the occurrence of a particular illness above what is expected …

AAPACN CEO Highlights Growth and Opportunities

Administrator / Blog / CNA / DNS / IDT member / NAC

The American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN) CEO and President, Tracey Moorhead, took the stage at the AAPACN 2025 Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, to deliver the annual CEO address to a packed room of dedicated post-acute care professionals. In her opening remarks, Moorhead welcomed attendees to the city of …

SNF QRP Quick Reference Guide

Billing and Reimbursement / DNS / MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Post-Acute Care News / QAPI and Quality Initiatives

An updated Quick Reference Guide is now available. The Quick Reference Guide provides high-level information on the SNF Quality Reporting Program, including frequently asked questions and helpful links. PAC-SNF-QuickReferenceGuide-20250508 (PDF) From https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/snf-quality-reporting-program/submission-deadlines

ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Sequencing

Billing and Reimbursement / MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Podcast

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, discuss the sequencing of ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding. Additional Resources: AAPACN Articles:  ​​​​​​​AAPACN Education: ​​​​​​​AAPACN Tool:

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FY 2026 SNF VBP Program Fact Sheet and Incentive Payment Multiplier Calculation Infographic

Administrator / Billing and Reimbursement / DNS / NAC / Post-Acute Care News

FY 2026 SNF VBP Program Fact Sheet (PDF) From https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/nursing-home-improvement/value-based-purchasing (also updated with FY 2026 information) SNF VBP Program: FY 2026 Incentive Payment Multiplier Calculation Infographic (PDF). From https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/nursing-home-improvement/value-based-purchasing/scoring-methodology-payment-adjustment