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MDS Alert

Section M:
Brace Yourself: Surveyors Are Targeting Your Pressure Ulcer Coding
Confusing a scab as eschar could land you with an underserved Stage 4. Now is the time... Read more
Pressure Ulcers:
Overcome 3 Pressure-Ulcer Staging Stumbling Blocks
Make sure you’re not coding these types of wounds as ‘worsening.’ Th... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Make These MDS Modifications Right Away To Prevent Billing Snafus
Follow 4 expert tips to make sure you don’t overlook any records. All those big ... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question 1: How should we handle the transition for patients admitted before Oct. 1, 201... Read more
Section GG:
Coding Examples: What Does 'Setup/Clean-Up Assistance' Really Mean?
Hint: Don’t include clearing the table after eating as part of clean-up. The cur... Read more
RAI Manual:
Get A Sneak Peek At Draft MDS 3.0 Item Set Changes For 2017
New: CMS wants to know what types of alarms you use for residents. The Centers for Med... Read more
Industry News to Use:
2017 OIG Work Plan: Get Ready For More Scrutiny Of 4 Key Areas
Federal watchdogs are planning to crack down on nursing facilities’ reported compl... Read more
Quality Measures:
Deep Dive: Launch Yourself Into Falls With Major Injury QM
Brace yourself for J1900 coding to become a much higher-stakes endeavor. The thought o... Read more
Regulations:
Comply With New Resident Assessment & Care Plan Requirements
Focus on person-centered nature of resident assessment for success with new regs. Head... Read more
Learn From 4 Falls Scenarios To Navigate J1800/J1900 Coding
The new “Falls with Major Injury” quality measure (QM) relies on only one MD... Read more
RoPs:
Take Immediate Action On These Phase 1 Requirements
Update your policies and procedures on infection control and prevention right away. In... Read more
Section GG:
Gain Expert-Level Insights From 8 Section GG FAQs
How should you code items when the resident is unable to complete the tasks? If you ha... Read more
Toolkit:
Cheat Sheet: What Does That Error Message Mean?
Know when the error code is a software problem and not your fault. When error messages... Read more
Surveys:
MDS Focused Surveys: Your Coding Accuracy Is Coming Under Fire
Need help? Check out this new Section M surveyor training video. The MDS Focused Surve... Read more
RAI Manual:
Don't Overlook Important Non-Section GG RAI Manual Updates
Heads up: CMS tweaked the definition of ‘Present on Admission’ If you&rsqu... Read more
Section A:
Know When You Must Complete The NPE Discharge Assessment
Hint: Don’t do it for unplanned discharges, discharge to hospital Yet another im... Read more
Surveys:
Prepare For Heightened Surveyor Scrutiny Of Your Infection Control Program
Look out: It’s easier than you think to get an F-441 deficiency citation Did you... Read more
Regulations:
Brace Yourself For Game-Changing LTC Reform Final Rule
Stop using pre-dispute binding arbitration agreements, or face surveyors’ ire. T... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Back To Basics: Honor 6 Essential MDS Coding Conventions
Follow these instructions when entering dash values for items Whether you’re new... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question 1: Do I need to complete Section GG for residents who were admitted before Oct.... Read more
Industry News to Use:
Expect New Exit Conference Procedures To Spread To LSC Surveys
Watch out: The significant changes that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Get Answers To Your Burning Questions About October MDS Changes
Pressure ulcer QM doesn’t change your coding of items M0300 and M0800. October i... Read more
Quality Ratings:
Heed These Crucial Guidelines To Increase Your 5-Star Quality Rating
Heads up: CMS made these significant changes to its calculation methods. As the Center... Read more
Surveys:
Take 5 Actions Now To Prevent Social Media-Related F-223 Citations
Unauthorized photography/recording of nursing home residents now violates federal law. ... Read more
Section GG:
Study 6 Item GG0170B/C Scenarios To Understand New Coding Conventions
Make sure you’re coding ‘Dependent’ when the helper does all the work.... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Boost Your Coding Accuracy With Expert Tips On Resident Interviews
Seek out family members to help with resident interview on daily/activity preferences. ... Read more
MDS 3.0:
What CMS Wants You To Understand About The New Section GG
Find out what the term ‘helper’ really means for your coding. If you&rsquo... Read more
Focus On Mobility:
Learn From 6 Item GG0170 Examples
Recognize how to judge more/less than half the effort. Learning to code the new Sectio... Read more
Surveys:
Bombshell: Expect An Automatic Penalty For Immediate Jeopardy Deficiency
No more second chances when actual harm is involved. Bad news: The feds will now slap ... Read more
Chart:
Learn The Causes & Effects From New Survey Rules
Your facility could face up to 8 different remedies for various deficiencies. Want to... Read more
Reimbursement:
Take 4 Actions Now To Thwart QRP-Trigged Pay Cuts
Discover how the pressure ulcer QM has now changed. The Centers for Medicare & Med... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question 1: The resident was admitted to skilled services on May 16 following an acute h... Read more
Compliance:
MDS-Focused Surveys: Brace Yourself For Scrutiny Of 7 Key Areas
Make sure MDS records match up to documentation, especially for these issues. MDS-Focu... Read more
PEPPER:
How To Use Your PEPPER Data To Shield Your SNF From The Feds' Crosshairs
Find out what COT problems could expose you to MAC or RAC audits. Your skilled nursing... Read more
Section GG:
Understand The 5 W's Of Section GG Groundwork
Know when you must code this new section — and when you don’t have to. The... Read more
Ramp-Up For Successful Section GG Coding With These Examples
When to code GG0130A as Independent, even when the resident has a G-tube. Studying cod... Read more
Quality:
They're Here -- New QMs Will Now Impact Your Five-Star Rating
Learn how the point ranges will change to earn each star rating. It seems like the Cen... Read more
Industry News to Use:
Get Ready For CMS's New Nursing Home Action Plan
Plus: Why OCR thinks you’re not connecting residents to the right referral sources... Read more
Section GG:
Take 3 Strategic Steps Now To Prepare For The New Section GG
Decide not only who will chart, but also what charting forms and tools you’ll use.... Read more
Get Ahead Of The Curve:
Learn From 6 Section GG Coding Scenarios
When coding, pay close attention to what exact activity the resident is performing. Wh... Read more
PBJ:
Are You Ready To Report Your Staffing Data? Your Bottom Line Is At Stake
Heed new instructions for logging hours when an employee has multiple roles. The time ... Read more
Surveys:
Surveyors Will Scrutinize Your Facility To Hunt For Psychosocial Harm
New guidance targets unnecessary meds, but also goes far beyond F-329. Surveyors will ... Read more
Documentation:
Beware Of 2 New MDS-Dependent QMs Now In The Public Eye
Find out why your coding for item G0110E1 is now more important than ever before. Two ... Read more
Toolkit:
Chart: Contrast & Compare Section GG Vs. Section G Coding
If 2 or more helpers are required, you must code Dependent in the new section. The new... Read more
Industry News to Use:
Prepare For Upcoming Retention Changes To Your Preview Reports
Plus: CMS makes public new data on nursing home enforcement activities. Instead of you... Read more
Assessments:
How To Avoid These 6 Most-Common SCSA Mistakes
Don’t get tunnel vision — look for improvements, not just declines. The ri... Read more
Surveys:
Heed Expert Tips For Annual Survey Prep & Conducting Mock Surveys
Why the QIS tools should be your basis for a mock survey. Managers are on the floor sc... Read more
Look For These SCSA-Triggering Scenarios
Overall deterioration may include a pattern of changes. When deciding whether to initi... Read more
Tool:
Use This Checklist To Get Prepared For Your Annual Survey
Make sure you have these crucial documents on-hand for surveyors. If you’re wond... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Prepare Early For October 2016 MDS 3.0 Changes
You won’t find these Section C items in the updated RAI Manual. Despite promisin... Read more
Quality:
Your PEPPER & Five-Star Preview Report Are Now Available
Get ready for new quality measures to make a big splash in July. You can get a sneak p... Read more
Section J:
Take The 'Ouch' Out Of Your Resident Pain Assessments
Find out the best way to deal with pain-related QM triggers. If yours is like most nur... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question 1: What happens if a staff member documents in her ADL charting that a resident... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Make Sure You're Correctly Dealing With SCSA Matters For Hospice Care
Pay attention to timing issues to anticipate when you don’t need to do an SCS... Read more
Surveys:
Your Survey Exit Conferences Just Got A Little More Vague
How surveyors will handle Immediate Jeopardy citations differently than others. I... Read more
Toolkit:
Prevent Findings At Your Facility Of The Top 15 Most-Cited Health Deficiencies
Watch out: Comprehensive care plan F-tag ranks fifth on the list. Recently released nu... Read more
Compliance:
Beware: New DOJ Task Forces Are Cracking Down On Your Compliance
Why one industry stakeholder calls initiative a ‘smokescreen’ for cost-cutti... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question 1: We admitted the resident to the nursing home on Jan. 17 and discharged to ho... Read more
Industry News to Use:
Pay Attention To 3 New PBJ Policy Manual Updates
Plus: What to do if you get a SNF QRP noncompliance notification. Before even the star... Read more
Quality:
Prepare For CMS To Rate Your Facility On 6 New Quality Measures
How your ADL coding will now impact your quality scores. With almost no advance notice... Read more
Surveys:
Watch Out For Surveyors' Intensified Focus On Dignity F-Tag
Make sure staff aren’t talking to residents this way. With a growing number of c... Read more
Take A Closer Look At New MDS-Based QM Specifications
MS will update data on all 3 measures on a quarterly basis. The three new MDS-based qu... Read more
Section J:
Long-Stay QM: How J0300-J0600 Coding Impacts Your Quality Scores
Find out why you should use the Numeric Rating Scale whenever possible. When it comes ... Read more
Reimbursement:
Use This Cheat-Sheet To Combine Assessments Properly
What happens when you’re combining more than two assessments? Knowing when you c... Read more
Industry News You Can Use:
Prepare For Payment Incentives To Reduce Hospital Readmissions
Nearly half of hospitalizations among your residents are preventable, CMS claims. The ... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Get Ready Now For Completing The New Section GG
Find out when (and how often) you need to complete these new MDS items. At first glanc... Read more
Falls:
How Your Section D Assessment May Impact Falls
Employ ‘post-fall huddle’ technique to determine the root cause of falls. ... Read more
Toolkit:
Use This Handy Worksheet For Your 'Post-Fall Huddle'
Remember to get the resident’s account of what happened, if at all possible. A q... Read more
Section O:
Watch Your O0250 Coding To Protect Your Flu Vaccine QM Scores
Learn which responses will cause your score to take a nosedive. If you’re coding... Read more
Section I:
MDS Rejections? Decode Fatal ICD-10 Error Messages
When a single decimal point can be your downfall. If you’re receiving error mess... Read more
Quality:
Which Measures Can You See On Your CASPER QM Reports?
You can view only some of the measures on these reports. When you’re dealing wit... Read more
Surveys:
Prevent Your ADL Coding From Sinking Your MDS-Focused Survey
Beware of 5 mistakes staff could be making when coding ADL tasks for their shift. ... Read more
Let These 5 Coding Scenarios Teach You The 'Rule Of 3'
When all else fails, coding supervision is your only choice. With Item G0110 — A... Read more
PBJ:
Prepare Now For The Upcoming Mandatory PBJ Reporting Period
What went wrong? Understand what these new and revised edit codes mean. Even before th... Read more
Section H:
How Your Coding Affects Bladder/Bowel Long-Stay Quality Measure
Take these 8 steps now to improve your QM score. The MDS 3.0 quality measure (QM) &ldq... Read more
Incontinence:
Know The Types Of Urinary Incontinence For Optimal Care Planning
Functional incontinence may relate to cognitive and communication problems. You know t... Read more
Industry News to Use:
Plan For 5 Days Of QIES Downtime In March
Plus: Don’t let a contract therapy provider get you into trouble with the feds. ... Read more
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