Updates to ICD-10-CM Coding Guidelines: Key Revisions and Their Implications

The International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification, 10th revision (ICD-10-CM), coding system is an essential tool needed to document and bill accurately for healthcare services in the long-term care (LTC) setting. Annual updates to both the coding guidelines and the actual codes reflect updated clinical practices, advancements in medical understanding, …

Skilled Teaching and Training: Benefit From the Care Team’s Expertise

Like care plan management and evaluation and observation and assessment of a resident’s condition, teaching and training activities are a core nonskilled component of resident care that can rise to the level of a skilled service. Another way that these indirect skilled services are alike is that they historically haven’t …

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 …

Documentation and Monitoring for a Skilled Stay

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 documentation and monitoring for a skilled stay. Additional Resources:

Skilled Observation and Assessment Hinges on a Reasonable Probability of Complication

Direct skilled services under Medicare Part A often are easy to identify because these services involve specific, complex caregiver-to-resident actions. Their “inherent complexity” means that they can “be performed safely and/or effectively only by or under the general supervision of skilled nursing or skilled rehabilitation personnel,” explains the Centers for …

Care Plan Management and Evaluation Can Be a Skilled Service for At-Risk Residents

The development, management, and evaluation of the resident care plan is the OBRA backbone of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) process for all residents regardless of payer source, so it may surprise some nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) and directors of nursing (DNSs) to learn that care plan management and evaluation …

How to Use the ICD-10-CM Coding Manual

Since the start of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) in October 2019, the International Classifications of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) has been thrust into the forefront of daily tasks for the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC). ICD codes were always applied in long-term care (before 2015, ICD-9-CM codes were …

SNF VBP Early Look Performance Score Report Webinar and Materials

Overview of the Early Look Performance Score Report for the SNF VBP Program The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) developed and published the Overview of the Early Look Performance Score Report for the Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program webinar materials, including the slides, recording, transcript, and answers …

Common Myths about SNF Medicare Advantage Plan Management

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Maureen McCarthy, RN, BS, RAC-MT, QCP-MT, DNS-MT, RAC-MTA, president and CEO of Celtic Consulting, and AAPACN board member, dispel some common myths and concerns related to Medicare Advantage plan management in skilled nursing …

NAC Preparation Guide for the Triple Check Meeting Tool

Gathering all of the necessary reports for the triple check meeting is a lot for nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) to keep track of. AAPACN’s NAC Preparation Guide for the Triple Check Meeting tool can help keep the NAC organized and ensure all requirements of Medicare billing are in place prior …