News for MDS Experts
Check out our insightful articles and current social feed of news that’s important to MDS Coordinators.
Our Latest Articles
F641 in Plain English – How Interview Accuracy Protects Your CMI
When surveyors look at MDS accuracy, they’re not just checking boxes – they’re looking at whether the assessment truly reflects the resident. F641 holds the interdisciplinary team and nursing...
From Coding to Compliance: Avoiding Pitfalls in the 2026 MDS Landscape
With the numerous regulatory bodies that govern long term care (LTC) and skilled nursing facilities (SNF), it is easy to feel like there is no end to the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) and...
Keeping Up with Quality Measures in 2026
Quality measures (QM) that are driven by MDS data are currently utilized for long term care (LTC) facilities and skilled nursing facilities (SNF) in several ways. These QMs are publicly reported via...
🎉 We’re kicking off our 2026 Education Year with AAPACN!
MDS Consultants is proud to begin our 2026 education year as an AAPACN Training Partner, starting with the QAPI Certified Professional (QCP®) Workshop in April 2026.
This nationally recognized workshop is designed to help facilities move beyond compliance and strengthen meaningful QAPI programs that truly impact resident care.
📅 QCP® | April 14–17, 2026
🖥️ Virtual | Eastern Time
🎓 15 Continuing Education Credits
🔗 Register at cstu.io/5568d2
Follow us for additional AAPACN certification opportunities throughout 2026.
#AAPACN #AAPACNTrainingPartner #QCP #QAPI #MDSConsultants #SNFEducation #LongTermCare #NurseLeadership #Compliance #QualityImprovement ... See MoreSee Less
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Happy Friday.
We made it through another week.
Enjoy the weekend.
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The Medicare Advantage ICPG—together with OIG’s General Compliance Program Guidance (GCPG) that applies to all individuals and entities involved in the health care industry—serves as OIG’s updated and centralized source of voluntary compliance program guidance for Medicare Advantage. Entities and individuals can use the ICPG to help identify their own risks and implement an effective compliance and quality program to reduce those risks.
MAOs are required to adopt and implement compliance programs that include measures that prevent, detect, and correct noncompliance with CMS’s program requirements, as well as measures to prevent, detect, and correct fraud, waste, and abuse. In its regulations, CMS identifies its expectations for core elements of the compliance programs, and its Medicare Managed Care Manual provides additional compliance program guidelines.
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The result of each resident interview can impact care planning, quality measures, staffing measures, and reimbursement. Based on F641, CMS utilizes various MDS audit processes that can result in financial penalties and possible “claw backs” of payments when incorrect coding of MDS items has resulted in over-payment. This “claw back” application can affect Medicare PPS reimbursement and Medicaid reimbursement based on CMI calculations. “A willfully and knowingly-provided false assessment may be indicative of payment fraud or attempts to avoid reporting negative quality measures.” (SOM, 2025, p. 247).
𝗧𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗖𝗠𝗜, 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱:
-𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗔𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
-𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳-𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗗𝗧 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗥𝗗𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻/𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲-𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱
-𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗤𝗔𝗣𝗜) 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
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The submission deadline for the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) is approaching. Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment data and data submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) for July 1 – Sept 30 (Q3) of calendar year (CY) 2025 are due with this submission deadline.
𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟭𝟭:𝟱𝟵 𝗽.𝗺. 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟭𝟳, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.
It is recommended that applicable Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES) reports and NHSN analysis reports are run prior to each quarterly reporting deadline to ensure that all required data were submitted. We encourage you to verify all facility information prior to submission, including CMS Certification Number (CCN) and facility name.
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The January refresh includes: Assessment-based measures reflecting data submitted by SNFs to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from Quarter 2, 2024 through Quarter 1, 2025.
-The Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Healthcare Personnel measure reflecting data from Quarter 4, 2024 through Quarter 1, 2025.
-The CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among Healthcare Personnel (HCP) measure and COVID-19 Vaccine: Percent of Patients Who Are Up to Date measure reflecting data from Quarter 1, 2025.
-The Potentially Preventable 30-Day Post-Discharge Readmission, Discharge to Community, and Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary claims-based measures reflecting data from Quarter 4, 2022 through Quarter 3, 2024.
-The SNF Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) measure reflects data from Quarter 4, 2023 through Quarter 3, 2024.
Please visit the compare tool on cstu.io/6c60e8 and PDC to view the updated quality data. For questions about SNF QRP Public Reporting, please email SNFQRPPRQuestions@cms.hhs.gov.
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As the week winds down, it’s a good moment to pause and reflect.
Since the October 1, 2025 updates, many teams are still finding their footing—balancing new expectations, accuracy, documentation, and how assessments truly connect to care planning.
Change doesn’t always settle neatly, and that’s okay.
Sometimes progress starts with open conversation, shared experiences, and learning from what others are seeing on the ground. We’re looking forward to continuing that dialogue and exploring practical paths forward on February 10.
Wishing everyone a great weekend ahead!
👉https://www.mdsexpert.com/webinars-training/
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The January update of Appendix B to the MDS 3.0 RAI User’s Manual contains changes to the list of State RAI Coordinators, MDS Automation Coordinators, and CMS locations and contacts.
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🎉 We’re kicking off our 2026 Education Year with AAPACN!
MDS Consultants is proud to begin our 2026 education year as an AAPACN Training Partner, starting with the QAPI Certified Professional (QCP®) Workshop in April 2026.
This nationally recognized workshop is designed to help facilities move beyond compliance and strengthen meaningful QAPI programs that truly impact resident care.
📅 QCP® | April 14–17, 2026
🖥️ Virtual | Eastern Time
🎓 15 Continuing Education Credits
🔗 Register at cstu.io/5568d2
Follow us for additional AAPACN certification opportunities throughout 2026.
#AAPACN #AAPACNTrainingPartner #QCP #QAPI #MDSConsultants #SNFEducation #LongTermCare #NurseLeadership #Compliance #QualityImprovement ... See MoreSee Less
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