MDS Alert

For those who hoped the final SNF PPS rule might soften proposed payment cuts to SNFs -- no such luck. SNFs will be hit with a payment cut of $360 million starting Oct. 1, to make up for higher-than expected utilization of the Rehab Plus Extensive Services RUG categories. "The decrease in Medicare payment for FY is a huge issue for the industry," says Rena Shephard, MHA, RN, RAC-MT, C-NE, founding chair and executive editor of the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators. "SNFs across the board got a 1.1 percent cut ... but some will get a little bit more or less," she says.

"In California, that's been estimated to come to about $20 per patient per day for Medicare Part A patients," adds Shephard. "That's really significant," she points out.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has major training plans in the works for the big move to MDS 3.0 and RUG-IV. The agency is planning a series of satellites and conferences and developing training materials to "let you know as much as possible as early as possible," said the agency's Sheila Lambowitz in the Aug. 27 SNF/LTC Open Door Forum.

CMS will be training contractors, associations and state agencies so they can support providers throughout the transition to the MDS 3.0 and RUG-IV, set to go live on Oct. 1, 2010. The agency will also have a help desk on the MDS 3.0 that will probably be up and running six months before the system becomes final in October 2010, Lambowitz told ODF participants.