News for MDS Experts
Check out our insightful articles and current social feed of news that’s important to MDS Coordinators.
Our Latest Articles
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...
The Latest in the Lineup: The Skilled Nursing Facility Validation Program
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) audits of skilled nursing facility (SNF) Minimum Data Set (MDS) data are nothing new. The MDS 3.0 was implemented in 2010, and in 2014 CMS piloted MDS...
How the MDS is Utilized During the Survey Process
Have you ever wondered how the survey team determines which residents they will focus on during a standard survey in the skilled nursing facility/long term care facility (SNF/LTC)? The answers...
𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗠𝗗𝗦 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗠𝗗𝗦 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀
The Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) MDS Daily Census Report presents a daily count of active residents in a facility for the timeframe selected.
The MDS Daily Census Report has been enhanced, based on user feedback, to display summary data by default. The summary provides the census date and the corresponding census count. To generate the existing detailed version of the report which includes the active residents for each day identified by Resident Internal ID and the Target Date of the counted or qualifying Minimum Data Set (MDS) record, you can select the new “Include Details” checkbox on the Report Run page when requesting the report.
Please note that any links or bookmarks saved to the MDS Daily Census Report will no longer be functional as this new parameter has been added.
cstu.io/9b9451 ... See MoreSee Less
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𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄:
On This Day – December 5, 1987, The Nursing Home Reform Act, part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA ’87), was enacted.
This landmark legislation transformed long-term care in the United States by setting national minimum standards of care and establishing resident rights in certified nursing facilities.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:
- Ensured every resident could “attain and maintain her highest practicable physical, mental, and psycho-social well-being.”
- Introduced swift enforcement mechanisms to address non-compliance.
- Led to a 50% reduction in restraint use, a drop in psychotropic drug use, and greater family/resident involvement in care planning.
- Elevated quality of life to equal standing with quality of medical care.
The Nursing Home Reform Act set a new national standard for dignity, safety, and accountability in long-term care, protections that continue to shape nursing home policy today.
#OnThisDay #LongTermCare #HealthcareHistory #ResidentRights #OBRA87 #ElderCare #QualityMeasures ... See MoreSee Less
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Happy Friday!
Quality isn’t a headline; it’s a habit.
Today, we’re taking a moment to appreciate the work that kept care safe and consistent all week.
#QualityInCare #LongTermCare #Gratitude #Teamwork #mdsconsultants ... See MoreSee Less
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𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻?
Dec 9 | 11:00 a.m. ET
OIG work plans, MDS + QMs, top CMS deficiencies, and how to plan without burning out your team.
Our educators will walk through what’s coming and how to get ready.
𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱: Administrators, DONs, NACs/MDS Coordinators, Clinical Nurse Managers, IDT.
👉 Don’t see a Register button? This session is for MDS Experts members. Join MDS Experts to get access to all webinars.
cstu.io/8198d5
#LongTermCare #SNF #MDS #RAI #QMs #OIG #Compliance #Leadership #QAPI ... See MoreSee Less
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The Five-Star rating preview reports for nursing homes will be available in iQIES on December 1, 2025. Nursing Home Care Compare will update with the November/December Five-Star data on or around December 10, 2025.
cstu.io/281a55
Important Note: The Five-Star Helpline (800-839-9290) will be available December 1-5, 2025. For assistance logging into iQIES, please contact the iQIES Service Center via email (iQIES@cms.hhs.gov) or by phone (800-339-9313).
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The December 2025 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports for the fiscal year (FY) 2027 Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program are now available to download via the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES).
These results will be used for the FY 2027 SNF VBP Program year scoring and incentive payment calculations that will take effect October 1, 2026. The data and results for the performance period for the FY 2027 SNF VBP Program year will be disseminated in the June 2026 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports. 𝙎𝙉𝙁𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙢𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝟯𝟬 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙅𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.https://cstu.io/e895a5 ... See MoreSee Less
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🚨The Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Quality Measures (QM) User's Manual v18.0 and accompanying Risk Adjustment Appendix File are now available. The MDS 3.0 QM User’s Manual V18.0 will be effective beginning January 1, 2026, and contains detailed specifications for the MDS 3.0 QMs. A Notable Changes section in the document summarizes the major changes from the MDS 3.0 QM User’s Manual V17.0. The Risk Adjustment Appendix File is a reference to be used in conjunction with the MDS 3.0 Quality Measures User’s Manual v18.0 and contains coefficient values used to calculate the risk-adjusted quality measures. The latest coefficient values in this appendix file reflect, where applicable, updates to the measure specifications for the risk-adjusted NHQI measures, effective January 1, 2026.
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On November 12, 2025, Congress enacted Public Law 119-37, providing for a continuing appropriation until January 30, 2026, with retroactive authority back to October 1, 2025. Attached are responses to questions we received from States and providers with regard to the manner in which survey, enforcement & certification activities should accommodate the effects of the federal government shutdown that occurred from October 1, 2025, through November 12, 2025. cstu.io/7138cc ... See MoreSee Less
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📢Register for SOPS Nursing Home Survey Version 2.0: Updates, Insights, and Implementation
This one-hour webcast will introduce Version 2.0 of the Surveys on Patient Safety Culture® (SOPS®) Nursing Home Survey, highlighting key improvements and results from a pilot test with 27 nursing homes. Key improvements include a shortened and more focused survey. Speakers from AMI Expeditionary Healthcare will describe their first-hand experience using the new survey in a field test. They will discuss how they achieved greater than 50 percent response rates in eight nursing homes in Pennsylvania and how they are reviewing the results and preparing action plans for the participating nursing homes. cma.ahrq.gov/cma/registration.jsp;jsessionid=emLVvsd8d2ulTuipWVm4BxogOQn4spOIhSG96QQY7uLCk8ILR_CD... ... See MoreSee Less
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