GG0130 and GG0170: Using Clinical Judgment to Establish Usual Performance

The ability to exercise clinical judgment to define usual performance in MDS items GG0130 (Self-Care) and GG0170 (Mobility) offers nursing homes unprecedented opportunity to impact quality measures (QMs), says Rosanna Benbow, RN, CCM, ICC, IP, DNS-CT, QCP, RAC-CTA, regional director of operations at Proactive LTC Consulting in Evansville, IN. “You …

Five-Star and Care Compare MDS 3.0 Quality Measure Data Periods

Care Compare refreshes MDS 3.0 Quality Measure (QM) data quarterly in January, April, July, and October with the most recent four full quarters of data. AAPACN’s Five-Star and Care Compare MDS 3.0 Quality Measure Data Periods tools identify exactly which quarters will be publicly reported and used in Five-Star with …

OIG: Nursing Facility Industry Segment-Specific Compliance Program Guidance

From https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/nursing-facility-icpg/ The Nursing Facility ICPG—together with OIG’s General Compliance Program Guidance (GCPG) that applies to all individuals and entities involved in the health care industry—serves as OIG’s updated and centralized source of voluntary compliance program guidance for nursing facilities. Nursing facilities can use the ICPG to help identify their own risks and …

SNF ABN Update: What Changed and How to Keep the Process Running Smoothly

Effective Oct. 31, 2024, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) now are required to use an updated Skilled Nursing Facility Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (SNF ABN), also known as form CMS-10055, and the corresponding revised instructions to provide financial liability notifications to residents under fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare Part A. Note: The …

Ethics and Ramifications of Backdating the MDS

Backdating, or placing an earlier date than the actual date on a document, is only permissible in limited Minimum Data Set (MDS) scenarios. Has anyone asked the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) to change the assessment reference date (ARD) of a 5-Day prospective payment system (PPS) assessment after day 8? Is …

At-a-Glance QM, QRP, and VBP Tool

With so many Quality Measures originating from three different payment initiative programs, it’s a lot to keep track of. AAPACN’s At-a-Glance QM, QRP, and VBP tool organizes all of the measures for you. This tool has been updated with the MDS 3.0 Quality Measures User’s Manual Version 17.0 (January 2025), the Five-Star …

Diabetes Management in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care: JAMDA Clinical Practice Guideline

The newly revised Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes Management in the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (PALTC) Setting provides (1) new information on overall goals in diabetes care, (2) detailed information on how to use and manage medication alternatives , and (3) information on the roles of interdisciplinary team members in …

Break the Bad Data Cycle: Keys to Boosting Accuracy in GG0130 and GG0170

MDS items GG0130 (Self-Care) and GG0170 (Mobility) are a common source of headaches for both the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) and the interdisciplinary team (IDT). While there is no one-size-fits-all approach for obtaining accurate documentation to support functional status coding, there are steps that the NAC can take in conjunction …

Follow-Up Answers to Q&A from ICD-10 Updates Sept. 12, 2024, AAPACN Webinar

In this podcast, AAPACN Curriculum Development Specialists, Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA and Jennifer LaBay RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, discuss a few of the questions asked during the recent AAPACN webinar, “How to Prepare for FY 2025 ICD-10 Updates,” held on Sept. 12, 2024. Additional Resources: