MDS Alert

Keep on top of further changes to the next version of the MDS before it goes into effect in October.

At the end of May, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is making further changes to the 2018 draft of the Minimum Data Set (MDS), which will go into effect in Oct. 1, 2018.

The CMS website says, "A revised DRAFT version of the 2018 MDS item sets (v1.16.0R) was posted. This version contains a revision to discharge goal coding instructions in GG0130 (Self-Care) and GG0170 (Mobility), the addition of skip pattern language to GG0170M and GG0170N, revisions to skip pattern language to GG0170Q1 and GG0170Q3, the addition of coding instructions to J2000 (Prior Surgery), revisions to skip pattern language to M0210 and M0300G, and the addition of coding instructions to N2001 (Drug Regimen Review) and N2005 (Medication Intervention)."

Manage the Updates

CMS released a 15-page document of changes and updates, but don't worry: A lot of the updates are very minor punctuation or other similarly minor modifications. Only a few of the changes include different coding options or instructions.

You can find more information about the specific changes at the CMS on the Technical Information page, which you can access here: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/NHQIMD­S30TechnicalInformation.html.