Beneficiary notification requirements under the Medicare program can be confusing for nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) who serve as the lead Medicare nurse and other interdisciplinary team members in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), says Carol Maher, RN-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, RAC-CT, CPC, director of education for Hansen, Hunter & Co. PC …
The role of the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) can often be an enigma to many nursing home staff. Misunderstandings about the position abound, and NACs may find it frustrating that no one knows what they do or its true impact. One of the most common misunderstandings about the NAC’s role …
Do you know what MDS items impact reimbursement under the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) or the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP)? Use this quick guide, MDS Items Impacting Reimbursement for PDPM and SNF QRP, for easy reference to get your payment straight. This AAPACN resource is copyright …
Effective Oct. 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added columns for MDS items K0520 and O0110 to assess services provided “on admission” and “at discharge.” This change results in different assessment periods for these items depending on the assessment type(s). AAPACN’s Sections K and O Assessment …
In the Jan. 18, 2023, Quality, Safety, and Oversight (QSO) memo QSO-23-05-NH, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced plans to conduct offsite audits to assess whether nursing homes appropriately assess, document, and code diagnoses captured in MDS item I6000 (Schizophrenia (e.g., Schizoaffective and Schizophreniform Disorders)) that are …
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 some of the common concerns noted with Significant Change in Status Assessments (SCSAs).
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The transition from section G to section GG on Oct. 1, 2023, also had a substantial impact on Quality Measures (QMs) and the Five-Star Quality Rating System. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a memo in September detailing the affected QMs and the impact on the Five-Star …
The Significant Change in Status Assessment (SCSA) has been a federal requirement since the inception of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) process that resulted from the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987. The specifications of how to complete this assessment are described in chapter 2 of the RAI User’s Manual …
Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are increasingly subject to skilled medical review audits from both fee-for-service Medicare (e.g., the SNF Five-Claim Probe and Educate initiative) and individual Medicare Advantage plans. Audit success ultimately hinges on documentation quality, but the presence of documentation in the medical record is no guarantee of the …
Do you have an organized approach to collect MDS data during the 7- and 14-day look-back periods? AAPACN’s MDS Data Collection for the NAC tool provides an organized approach to gathering supporting data from the medical record, medication administration record, treatment record, and more. This tool can save you time …
