OASIS Alert

Scenario: During her assessment visit, the nurse predicts three visits in M0826 (Ther-apy need: In the home health plan of care for the Medicare payment episode for which this assessment will define a case mix group, what is the indicated need for therapy visits [total of reasonable and necessary physical, occupational, and speech-language pathology visits combined]?). She completes the OASIS and records the date of this assessment visit in M0090 (Date assessment completed).

The next day, the physical therapist notifies the nurse that the PT assessment shows a need for 10 visits and she has a doctor's order for that number. The nurse corrects the answer to M0826 to reflect the 10 visits expected. Does she also need to change the date in M0090?

Answer: Yes, because she gathered additional information that changed a M0 item response within the five-day start of care assessment time frame, the Centers for Med-icare & Medicaid Services says. The nurse should change the M0090 date to reflect the date she gathered the additional information and changed the answer to the M0 item, CMS explains in question and answer number four of the April 2008 OASIS Q&As.

Tip: If an error is identified at any time, it should be corrected following the agency's correction policy, but M0090 would not necessarily be changed, CMS says.

Note: The April 2008 OASIS Q&As are at http://www.oasiscertificate.org under "Resources."