CMS clarifies MDS correction procedures and calls for feedback on the controversial nursing home compare site

MDS Correction Procedures Will Change April 1, 2011
Date Submitted: Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Provided By: CMS

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have updated the technical specifications of MDS 3.0 and changed the procedure of how to complete a correction of an MDS. Starting April 1, 2011, the reason for assessment items, assessment reference date (ARD), discharge date, and entry date can no longer be changed with a modification record for MDS 3.0 records. Instead, these items must be corrected by inactivating the old record and submitting a new record. The April 1, 2011, start date refers to the date that the MDS 3.0 correction record is submitted, not the ARD of the original or correction record.
Providers may optionally implement the new correction procedure prior to April 1, 2011. CMS will update chapter 5 of the MDS 3.0 RAI Manual in Spring 2011 to reflect this policy.

Nursing Home Compare: April and July 2011 Changes (3/11)
Date Submitted: Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Provided By: CMS

April and July 2011 Changes to Nursing Home Compare
Memo # 11-17-NH
Posting Date 03/18/2011
Fiscal Year 2011

The purpose of this memorandum is to describe changes that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will make to the Nursing Home Compare website https://www.medicare.gov/ on April 23, 2011 and on July 21, 2011. CMS is soliciting comments about these website changes. CMS will be evaluating the website in a systematic way, including seeking comments from stakeholders and visitors to the site. Based on these evaluations, CMS will continually making revisions to the website in the future.

Memorandum Summary

Changes to Nursing Home Compare: Identifies forthcoming changes to Nursing Home Compare required by the Affordable Care Act.

Details of Changes: Changes include information to facilitate reporting of complaints, additional information on residents rights, and facility-specific listing of number of complaints and enforcement actions taken against the facility.

Posted by Lisa Hohlbein RN, RAC-CT, MSCN