MDS Alert

Question: I recently submitted an MDS assessment with my facility’s software and received the following response: “No authority to collect data.” Did I miss something on the MDS? Did all the software programs just perform a random update?

Ohio Subscriber

Answer: There’s a particular MDS item that may cause this error message if coded incorrectly and submitted: A0410 (Unit Certification or Licensure Designation).

Check to see how you coded this item. There are three choices for coding this item, including:

1. Unit is neither Medicare nor Medicaid certified and MDS data is not required by the State.

2. Unit is neither Medicare nor Medicaid certified but MDS data is required by the State.

3. Unit is Medicare and/or Medicaid certified.

Context: “Payer source is not the determinant by which this item is coded. This item is coded solely according to the authority CMS has to collect MDS data for residents who are on a Medicare and/or Medicaid certified unit and the authority that the state may have to collect MDS data under licensure,” the RAI Manual says on page A-12.