PDPM Grouper JAR Package V2.4000

This release was updated to support FY2026 ICD-10 codes which are used with MDS assessments with a target date on or after October 1, 2025. As part of this release, 487 clinical category mappings were added, 28 clinical category mappings were removed, and 34 clinical category mappings were modified. Additionally, 3 …

AAPACN Resources to Help Prepare for Oct. 1, 2025, MDS Changes

AAPACN Resources to Help Prepare for Oct. 1, 2025, MDS Changes The Long Term-Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) 3.0 User’s Manual version 1.20.1 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) goes into effect for nursing homes on Oct. 1, 2025. To ensure nurse assessment coordinators, directors of …

Oct. 2025 RAI User’s Manual – Unexpected Updates 

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 Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, senior curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, discuss some of the unexpected changes released in the final draft of the RAI User’s Manual version …

Ready or Not: Preparing for the Oct. 1, 2025, MDS Change – Sept. 18 2025

Members: $24 | Non-members: $48Continuing Education: 1.25 CE hoursRecording Date: Sept 18, 2025 Duration: 75 minutesSpeaker: Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA Big changes are coming to the MDS this October—and SNF teams need to be ready. Join AAPACN Senior Curriculum Development Specialist, Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, for a breakdown of what’s …

MDS 3.0 Quality Measures (QM) User’s Manual v17.0 Effective Jan. 1, 2025 and Associated User Manual Files

NOTABLE CHANGES TO THE MDS QM USER’S MANUAL V17 Guidance on Selecting MDS Section GG Item Columns for Measure Calculation An updated .zip file for the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Quality Measures (QM) User’s Manual v17.0 is now available. This .zip file package contains the updated 2025 Nursing Home …

SNF QRP Measure Calculations and Reporting User’s Manual V7.0, Change Table, Risk Adjustment and Imputation Appendix Files, and HCC ICD-10 Crosswalks

The Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) Measure Calculations and Reporting User’s Manual v7.0 and accompanying files are now available. These materials serve as an update to the specifications used to calculate quality measures that are included in the SNF QRP and will be effective beginning October 1, 2025.  The …

Everything You Need to Know About the AAPACN Podcasts—LTC DON Chat and LTC NAC Chat

The AAPACN Podcasts—LTC DON Chat and LTC NAC Chat—offer tips, strategies, updates, advice, and breaking news on the most important topics in long-term and post-acute care. Regular hosts and AAPACN staff members provide their own best practices and insights, as well as a breakdown of updates and regulations. They also …

MDS Item J2100 Feeds Into PDPM: Learn What’s at Stake and How to Boost Accuracy

MDS item J2100 (Did the Resident Have a Major Surgical Procedure During the Prior Inpatient Hospital Stay That Requires Active Care During the SNF Stay?) is the gateway question for receiving enhanced reimbursement in the Physical Therapy (PT) and Occupational Therapy (OT) payment components of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), …

Back to PDPM Basics – Part 3: The Nursing Component – Extensive Services and Special Care

The calculation for the nursing component of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) can look deceptively simple. The two steps entail calculating a section GG nursing function score and then placing the resident into one of six nursing categories. But completing these two steps correctly requires understanding a number of coding …

IPA Quick Calculators – Urban and Rural

When a resident’s condition changes during the Medicare Part A stay, the facility team must decide if an Interim Payment Assessment (IPA) is indicated. The AAPACN IPA Quick Calculator interactive tool can help the team analyze the changes in HIPPS codes, case-mix groups, case-mix indexes, and rates. Two tools are …