Revised SNF ABN (Form CMS-10055) Mandatory Oct. 31, 2024

With the help of contractors, CMS revised the SNF ABN, Form CMS-10055, and the form instructions.  The SNF ABN form and instructions are located in the download section and are available for immediate use, but will be mandatory for use on 10/31/2024.     Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) must issue a notice …

Section GG Web-based Training Series From CMS

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering an updated series of web-based training courses that provide an overview of the assessment and guidance to promote accurate coding of the post-acute care (PAC) cross-setting Section GG data elements. Each course contains interactive exercises to test your understanding. To …

Staff Work Schedules: It’s Time to Get Flexible—and Realistic—to Improve Retention

Flexible scheduling, which allows staff members to opt for shorter shifts, longer shifts, add-on shifts, and other staffing flexibilities, can be a strong tool for both recruitment and retention in long-term care, says Jasmine Travers, PhD, MHS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, assistant professor at the New York University Rory Meyers College of …

Staff Performance: When Expectations Don’t Match Reality

To implement the minimum nurse staffing standards for registered nurses (RNs) and nurse aides (NAs) and the increased on-site RN requirement in the Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting final rule starting as early as May 2026 on some requirements for urban …

Substance Use Disorders: What the DNS Should Know

Over 1 million people aged 65 and over live with substance use disorders (SUD) (Alliance for Aging Research, 2022). As with most trends, what is prevalent in the community will also be prevalent in nursing homes. Therefore, the director of nursing services (DNS) should understand the nuances of this disorder …

CMS Patient Mood Interview (Patient Health Questionnaire PHQ-2 to 9) Video Tutorial

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a video tutorial for completing D0150, Patient Mood Interview (PHQ-2 to 9) and D0160, Total Severity Score. This video depicts two scenarios that demonstrate the coding of the PHQ-2 to 9 for the purposes of completing D0150, Patient Mood Interview (PHQ-2 to …