Warning: New Changes to MDS Assessments for SNFs

Talk Ten Tuesdays

There are substantial new changes to the minimum data set (MDS) assessment, including how functional abilities and goals are scored, the introduction of tracking of indications for medication use, and the addition of new measures for tracking communication of transfer-of-health information. The recent changes became effective Oct. 1, the start of the government’s fiscal year.

The MDS assessment is a standardized assessment used in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and some swing beds to capture administrative and clinical data for residents. The information compiled in the MDS assessment is used to create resident care plans and determine reimbursement, and it impacts quality measures.

As a warning, SNF personnel should be on the lookout for any denials related to the new ICD-10 codes, according to Deanna Peterson, the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays. Peterson, senior vice president of operations and LTPAC services for First Class Solutions and the featured guest on the next upcoming edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, will report that residents with invalid ICD-10 codes will need those codes to be updated to avoid denials.

The weekly live broadcast will also feature these outstanding segments and thought leaders:

• Coding Report: Laurie Johnson, senior healthcare consultant for Revenue Cycle Solutions, LLC, will report on the latest coding news.

• SDoH Report: Tiffany Ferguson, a subject-matter expert on the social determinants of health (SDoH), will report on the news that’s happening at the intersection of coding and the SDoH.

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, CPA, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

• TalkBack: Erica Remer, MD, founder and president of Erica Remer, MD, Inc., and Talk Ten Tuesdays co-host, will report on a subject that has caught her attention during her popular segment.