The MDS Expert Blog
Read on for insights from our expert staff and our commentary in the press.
Isolation and COVID
When the President and HHS Secretary declared a national health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they triggered section 1135 of the Social Security Act. Section 1135 allows the Secretary to temporarily waive or modify certain Medicare and Medicaid requirements to ensure sufficient health care for enrollees. Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) were issued multiple…
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Section 1135 Waivers
When the President and HHS Secretary declared a national health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they triggered section 1135 of the Social Security Act. Section 1135 allows the Secretary to temporarily waive or modify certain Medicare and Medicaid requirements to ensure sufficient health care for enrollees. Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) were issued multiple…
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Summary of The Proposed PPS Final Rule
Every April a Proposed PPS Final Rule is put forth by CMS. The proposed rule this year (2020) would update the SNF prospective payment rates for fiscal year (FY)2021 as required under the Social Security Act. CMS recognizes that the entire healthcare system is focused on responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency. As a…
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MDS in the Emergency Preparedness Plan
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for skilled nursing facilities to have an effective Emergency Preparedness Plan – one that includes sheltering-in-place. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Final Rule requires that participating providers have an active Emergency Preparedness Plan. With reimbursement payments, accreditation status, and liability exposures all on the line, long-term care…
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COVID-19 Resources
COVID-19 (coronavirus) Tools In this difficult time, MDS Consultants is here for you with reimbursement guidance and can help with MDS completions when needed. Our team keeps an up-to-date list of links and resources at https://mds-consultants.com/helpful-cms-info/ COVID-19 (coronavirus) Updates Novel Coronavirus 2019, or COVID-19, is causing a crisis in our healthcare system. Do not let…
Read More What Is an MDS Coordinator?
It’s a bit odd that when asked what you do for a living most MDS coordinators struggle to come up with an answer. Who struggles to explain what they do every day? The reality is that MDS coordinators fully understand what this multifaceted job entails but are at a loss how to put it into…
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Staffing in the World of PDPM
The Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is here, and even well-prepared organizations are uncertain about precisely what the future will hold for this new system of reimbursement for nursing home care. To gain some insights on staffing in the world of PDPM, InFront talked to Melanie Tribe-Scott and Gloria Brent from MDS Consultants during last…
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7 Baseline Care Plan Myths
Baseline care plans have been required since late November 2017, but nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) and other interdisciplinary team (IDT) members are still navigating through a lot of misinformation to learn the rules of the road for F655 (Baseline Care Plans) as detailed in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual. Here are seven common…
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QAPI Resources
We’ve compiled a list of helpful QAPI resources from CMS as well as other organizations and experts. CMS Regulations & News Nursing Home Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement (QAPI) QAPI News Brief – Volume 1 QAPI News Brief – Volume 2 SNF Quality Reporting Program (IMPACT Act of 2014) Nursing Home Quality Initiative Patient Protection…
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It’s QAPI Time!
QAPI will soon be in the spotlight. All skilled nursing facilities, by November 28 of this year, must have their QAPI plan ready to provide to the Annual Survey. For those who don’t have their plan in place, here is a quick QAPI primer. What Is QAPI? QAPI stands for Quality Assurance / Performance Improvement. …
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How Much Staff Do I Need for MDS?
We all know that a lot of time, energy and effort go into completing an MDS. But how many hours should you really be spending? Factors to Consider in Calculating MDS Staffing Time What is your average LTC census per year? What is your average Rehab Census per year? What is your average LOS…
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Determining Nurse Aide Staffing Requirements
CONCLUSIONS: The average nurse aide staffing levels reported by NHs falls below the level of staffing predicted as necessary to provide consistent ADL care to all residents in need. DES methodology can be used to determine nurse aide staffing requirements to provide ADL care and simulate management interventions to improve care efficiency and quality. ABSTRACT:…
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One section at a time
When it comes to the Minimum Data Set, accuracy can be the defining factor in whether a facility keeps its doors open, thrives or ends up facing federal indictment. Whether providers are looking to ensure they can afford to provide the proper care their residents need or to maintain a five-star quality rating, the information…
Read More Another way to capture ADLs
The conventional wisdom for improving Activities for Daily Living is to educate and re-educate and then educate again. This is important, but I look at ADL capture as a process that requires audits and examining systems. Every process has gaps that can be narrowed or even closed. Usually 80% of ADL capturing problems are caused…
Read More Success without silos
While this autumn won’t bring nearly as many MDS changes as last year, documentation and coding due-diligence remains crucial. And despite coordinators’ knowledge and leadership role in the MDS process, they shouldn’t be shouldering the responsibility alone, experts say. “Any discipline that contributes to the MDS should understand the ‘tell me more’ about the MDS…
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