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MDS Alert

MDS Coding:
Fine-Tune Continence Coding Before Surveyors Tune In To You
These 6 patterns of errors will put your QIs in the toilet.Section H has taken on new urge... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question: What items in Section H or other MDS sections count toward Medicare RUG payment ... Read more
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Section H
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MDS Compliance:
5 Red Flags That Could Hang Your Facility Out To Dry With FIs
Learn how to view the MDS through an auditor's eyes.If your facility opened the door to a ... Read more
Coding Quizzer:
Take A Shot At Coding Flu And Flu Immunization
'Tis the season when residents get the flu or receive flu immunizations, so test your MDS ... Read more
Care Planning:
Know The Ups And Downs Of Using And Coding Bedrails
Is that bedrail just a mobility aid - or also a restraint and accident hazard? The answer ... Read more
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Stuck On Care Plan Goals For Bed Mobility? This Example Will Get You Moving
If you code the resident as using bedrails to improve bed mobility, you'd better have some... Read more
In the Spotlight:
Catapult Your Continence Management Program To The Next Level
Follow this facility's decision-making tree to individualize care plans.Win the war on uri... Read more
Coding Tip:
Don't Overlook 'Forgotten' Pain
How would you code this resident's pain in Section J2?Mrs. G, a resident with poor short- ... Read more
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Does The Resident Have Urinary Incontinence? Check His Meds
Medications can cause or aggravate a person's urinary incontinence. Common culprits includ... Read more
MDS Tip:
Check Section AC To Reduce Incontinence
Paying attention to Section AC (customary routine) performed at admission can pay off by i... Read more
MDS & BILLING NEWS TO USE
Better make your MDS and care planning process a hot compliance priority in 2005. It's goi... Read more
MDS Compliance:
Validate Your Validation Reports - Or Risk Survey And Payment Woes
Don't let unheeded errors lead your MDS process astray.If you consistently ignore MDS vali... Read more
Coding Quizzer
Don't Undercut The Meds In Section 0A Part A-stay resident receives an anti-nausea medicat... Read more
MDS Coding:
Think Of Section 12 (Walking When Most Self-Sufficient) As An Afterthought? Your FI And CMS May Think Otherwise
Here's how to get the most out of T2 - and make sure it doesn't get you.Did you know that ... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question: Should the MDS coordinator report directly to the DON or to the administrator or... Read more
In The Spotlight:
Follow This Facility's Lead To Keep Your Resident Assessment Data Moving Through The Care Plan Loop
With the RAI process, silence isn't golden, but you can bank on the right communication sy... Read more
Fall Assessment:
Don't Let Falls Trip Up Your Survey: Use These MDS Sections To Identify Residents At Risk
To identify fall risk, target these MDS items (among others), which include the usual susp... Read more
MDS Integrity:
DAVE Says Take These 6 Steps To Prevent MDS Snafus
Keep your MDS process on track with these communication systems and policies.If you want t... Read more
Quality Improvement:
Practice These ABCs Of Analyzing ADL Decline
Figure out what's driving a downward spiral before it's too late.You know that residents w... Read more
MDS & Billing News To Use
A CMS letter to survey agencies gives the green light for facilities to use electronic sig... Read more
Reader Question:
Get Credit For Wound Vacs And Specialty Beds
Question: Can we capture the wound vac and a specialty bed on the MDS for payment purposes... Read more
Medicare:
Win The Payment Battle: Keep These 4 MDS Sections On Your Radar Screen
Here's a quick trick to improve ADL coding, what you don't want to miss in Section P - and... Read more
MDS Coding:
3 Little Tips That Will Make A Big Difference In Your ADL Scores
Follow these field-tested strategies to keep your PPS rates in the ballgame. When you... Read more
MDS Coding:
To Code Or Not To Code Chemo: Make The Right Choice Every Time
Hint: Don't try to code by the drug classification alone or its consolidated billing statu... Read more
Pressure Ulcer Staging Tip:
When A Decubitus Ulcer Codes Much Better Than It Looks ....
Picture this: You're doing a skin assessment to code the MDS and observe that the resident... Read more
Coding Quizzer:
Coding Depression, Anxiety, Sad Mood
How would you code E1a through p for the following resident?Mr. F is a new admission who b... Read more
Consolidated Billing:
Protect Your SNF From Unexpected - And Potentially Unnecessary - Chemotherapy Bills
Here's what you need to stay out of the hole for this service.True or False: Your SNF coul... Read more
In The Spotlight:
If You Take Your Restorative Program To New Levels, Your QIs And Bottom Line Will Follow
Find out how an integrated approach, real-time assessment and MDS know-how pays in spades ... Read more
Coding Tip:
You Can Count Activities As Restorative In Coding P3 If You Follow The RAI Rules
Use this litmus test to figure out if an activity counts.Activities programs can count as ... Read more
??MDS Nurses Want To Know??
Check Out State MDS-Related  Documentation RequirementsQuestion: Do some states have ... Read more
MDS & BILLING NEWS TO USE
If you're counting on that 90-day grace period to get up to   speed with the 200... Read more
Medicare Coverage:
Break The Spell Of Illness Without Bending The Rules
Residents may be out of Medicare days but not out of luck, if you know how they can earn a... Read more
Test Yourself
Question: Would the following count as a break in the spell of illness? A resident who has... Read more
MDS Management:
What Your DON Needs To Know About The MDS
7 ways managers can stay on top of their game by using this invaluable tool.If you think o... Read more
Coding Quizzer:
Coding ADLs
Section G: How would you code this resident's ability to walk in the corridor?After receiv... Read more
What Do You Think?:
The Resident's Right To Choose Providers Under Consolidated Billing
Here's the answer to last month's question:Can a SNF insist a resident receive oncology ra... Read more
Medicare Payment:
Coding For Dollars: Make Sure Your SNF Gets The Extra Payment For Residents With AIDS
A $100 RUG will net $228 with the RUG Add-On.What's in a diagnosis code? A hefty RUG add-o... Read more
In The Spotlight:
Maintaining Safety In A Restraint-Free Environment
This facility pulls it off by using the MDS and managing key risks.If you don't score, you... Read more
Quality Measures:
Enable Without Restraint: Use Devices To Promote Residents' Mobility
Just because Kendal-at-Longwood is restraint-free doesn't mean it shies away from helping ... Read more
MDS & BILLING NEWS TO USE
Has your facility downloaded information CMS says nursing homes and residents must have ab... Read more
Medicare Payment :
Troubleshoot These 5 Areas On The UB-92 And MDS
Here's where the 'twain must meet if you want to get paid. If your MDSs and UB-92s aren't... Read more
Coding Quizzer:
How To Code G6a For Residents Who Choose To Stay In Their Rooms
How would you code G6a (bedfast most or all of the time) for a resident who chooses to st... Read more
Consolidated Billing:
Don't Let Confusion Over PPS Carve-Outs Cut Your Facility's Profit Margins And Patient-Care Coffers
Help your SNF know when it doesn't need to reach into its PPS pocket. Attention, MDS coor... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question: Can a SNF insist a resident receive oncology radiation therapy in an outpatient... Read more
MDS Management - Make Sure All Is Well With Your MDS:
Give Diagnosis Coding A Check-Up
This 4-part test will show if you're up to speed on Section I. Section I provides a paint... Read more
Case Study - SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:
FALL MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY
This facility's real problem turned out to be a care plan that was falling short. If you'... Read more
Case Review
'Meet Ted, He Falls' Problem: Recurrent falls, escalation in challenging behaviors Fall p... Read more
MDS & BILLING NEWS TO USE
The compliance handwriting is on the wall when it comes to Part A consolidated billing in... Read more
Medicare Payment:
Estimate Therapy Minutes Without Penalizing Residents,Your Ledger - Or Rousing DAVE
8 steps to crossing Section T off your worry list. Is your facility pulling rehab RUGs ou... Read more
Diagnosis Coding Update
Coding Section I Would you code a diagnosis of quadriparesis at item I1z (quadri-palegia ... Read more
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Follow These Directions For Coding Section T1 (Estimated Therapy)
T1c. ESTIMATE OFNUMBER OFDAYS (first 14 days through day 15) Coding: Estimate of Number o... Read more
RAI Manual Update:
Nail Down The Latest Coding Changes For Restorative, IVs And Wounds
Heads up:Some changes affect payment or provide helpful clarifications. As an MDS coordin... Read more
MDS Coding:
4 Helpful Clarifications To MDS Coding Instructions
The April 2004 RAI user's manual update contains some language changes that clarify a numb... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question: If an IV or IV med is administered to the resident as part of an ambulatory sur... Read more
MDS Data Integrity:
Stave Off DAVE Or Face Payment Recoupments - Or Worse
Follow these strategies for turning this government watchdog into friend rather than foe.... Read more
Case Study:
Sometimes Less Definitely Is Better - Especially When It Comes To Assessment Forms
TSW facilities only supplement MDS assessment as needed. A nursing facility doesn't have ... Read more
Coding Quizzer:
Coding Activities of Daily Living
How would you code this ADL example revised in the April 2004 RAI user manual update? Mr.... Read more
MDS & BILLING NEWS TO USE
CMS addresses nitty gritty MDS and billing issues at recent SNF Open Door Forums. Ready fo... Read more
Check Your RUGs Before CMS Calls You On The Carpet
Don't let your software leave you taking the rap for this compliance trap.If your MDS soft... Read more
Professional Management:
Use MDS Reports To Make A Case For A Workable Workload
5 steps to get your numbers and dollar signs in a row.You may know you are doing the work ... Read more
Reimbursement:
3 Strategies That Will Ring The Fiscal Wake-Up Call For Your Facility
Show -- don't tell -- administrators how the MDS impacts your bottom line.When it comes to... Read more
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Follow These Directions To Access Online MDS Reports
To obtain online Casper reports that provide a wealth of information about your facility's... Read more
Care Planning:
Jump On ADL Decline Before Residents Backslide
Alert charting for ADLs can help staff spring into action.Is your assessment and reporting... Read more
Coding Quizzer:
Coding ADLs
Question: What's an exception to "three strikes and you code" where you code the highest l... Read more
In the Spotlight:
Getting The Admin With The Program
This company's NF administrators know how to get the most from the MDS."I don't know" is o... Read more
Documentation Tip:
Make Sure Surveyors Can Figure Out Who's Who
Does your facility use a signature sheet for the medication administration record (MAR) wh... Read more
MDS & BILLING NEWS TO USE
Check out the latest round of revisions to the RAI user's manual. The Centers for Medicare... Read more
MDS Compliance:
3 Common Practices That Will Derail Your RUGs Revenue
Hint: RUG every resident and know when to do your OMRAs.Your SNF will waive a higher-payin... Read more
What Do You Think?
Can your SNF bill Medicare Part A for the day of discharge or the day a resident expires?T... Read more
Medicare Billing:
Don't Let Physician Cert Omissions Make Your Facility Fiscally Ill
4 action items to help you prevent technical denials.What could be more disheartening than... Read more
Quality of Life:
Use The MDS To Steer Clear Of The Next Survey Minefield
Stay a step ahead by developing key quality of life indicators.Quality of life may be a pr... Read more
In The Spotlight:
Working With The MDS In 'Pioneer' Nursing Home Models
This nontraditional provider's use of the MDS holds QI lessons for all NFs.The MDS is a de... Read more
Coding Quizer:
Coding Emergency Room Visits
How would you code Section P6 (emergency room visits) for this resident? One evening,... Read more
Medicare Coverage:
Time To Get Your 3-Day Hospital Stays In A Row
Does your SNF have a system in place to validate that new admissions have had a bona fide ... Read more
Medicare Compliance:
Get The Dates And Signatures Straight
Follow these 3 tips.When obtaining physician certs/recerts, make sure: 1. The physici... Read more
Payment Trends:
Beware MDS-Generated RUG Shortfalls In The Payment Arena
Doing the right thing doesn't always pay in conventional ways.Meadowlark Hill's household ... Read more
MDS & BILLING NEWS TO USE
CMS plans to give SNFs and other providers a little incentive to speed up their transition... Read more
MDS Coding:
Improve Wound Coding To Heal Fiscal And Survey Sore Spots
Hint: Determine each wound's true etiology and capture those risk factors.Talk about walki... Read more
What Do You Think?
Deal With The Downstaging Dilemma Question: How can facilities follow the MDS instructions... Read more
Know The MDS Definitions For Staging Wounds
The MDS requires you to stage a wound based on how it appears at the time you assess it, w... Read more
In The Spotlight:
Heritage Enterprises Inc.
Use The MDS To Keep Residents On Their FeetThe best fall management programs balance resid... Read more
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Don't Take A Fall For Miscoding Falls On The MDS
Here's how CMS defines a fall Did you know that a resident doesn't have to actually fall f... Read more
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Track Fall-Related Injuries With This Tool
Providers can use the following format to track residents' falls and update the plan of ca... Read more
Coding Quizer:
Wound Coding
Question: How would you code this resident's wounds on Section M of the MDS?Mr. C has diab... Read more
Quality Reporting:
Counter These 3 Shortfalls To New Quality Measures
These strategies will help you tell the 'rest of the story' about your facility's quality ... Read more
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SIGECAPS Screening Tool For Depression
Nursing staff can use this  tool to screen residents for depression or dysthymia. Sle... Read more
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14 Enhanced Quality Measures
Post-Acute Quality MeasuresPercent of short-stay residents who had moderate to severe pain... Read more
MDS & BILLING NEWS TO USE
Got comments you'd like to share publicly on a Medicare or Medicaid reg? You can now do ... Read more
MDS Management:
Make MDS Software Programs A Boon Rather Than A Pain
These 9 software-savvy strategies will keep your billing and regulatory compliance on trac... Read more
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In The Market For MDS Software?
Ask these questions now to prevent fiscal and clinical headaches later.Software purchases ... Read more
Clinical Assessment And Coding:
7 Secrets To Lowering Your UTI Prevalence
Protect the facility's residents, QIs and PPS dollars.To diagnose, code and treat UTIs acc... Read more
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Know MDS Requirements For Coding UTI
The MDS coding instructions for UTI may be a bit vague, but they do set some parameters fo... Read more
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Check Out McGeer Criteria For Determining UTI
Looking for a little guidance on determining whether residents qualify as having UTI? Here... Read more
Medicare Billing:
Do Your UB-92s Tell A Story FIs Can't Dispute?
An audit in time can save more than your bottom line. They say a picture is worth a thousa... Read more
Compliance Tip:
Don't Be Lulled By A Steady Payment Stream
Getting paid isn't the litmus test for whether you filed clean claims - it's whether your ... Read more
MDS Coding And Care Planning:
Differentiate Between Coding And Care Planning
The coding may not tell the whole story, but your care plan should.The golden rule for cod... Read more
Coding Quizzer:
Coding Medications
How would you code the following in Section 04? Mrs. P received the following medicat... Read more
MDS Nurses Want To Know:
How To Use The MAR For Pain Coding And Management
Question: Can nurses just compare the pain medications recorded on the MAR as a guidepost ... Read more
MDS & Medicare News To Use
They're here ... CMS recently released enhanced quality measures to be publicly reported a... Read more
Medicare Billing & Payment:
Ringing Up Too Many Default Rates? Here's Why
There are only 3 reasons to bill the bottom-rung RUGThink of Medicare default rates as a f... Read more
SPECIAL FOCUS:
Restorative Nursing, Restore Your Outcomes And Your Bottom Line
Here's how to provide a restorative program that you can code on the MDS.The motto for res... Read more
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Stumped On Writing Restorative Goals?
Follow these steps.Want to write restorative nursing goals that will get residents back on... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question:  Can the restorative aide document the resident's restorative program in th... Read more
SPECIAL FOCUS:
Program Assessment, Restore Your Perception of Restorative
Here's a quick way to find out if you're selling yourself short. Your facility might just ... Read more
CLIP-N-SAVE:
Know What Counts Before You Code Section P3a-k
When it comes to coding restorative nursing services, definitions tell the "rest of the st... Read more
Medicare/Medicaid Compliance:
Make Sure Physician Extenders Don't Stretch The Rules
Otherwise, you're risking technical denials, F tags and worse.What's the one thing nurse p... Read more
Management Strategies:
Improve Your PPS, Resident And Survey Outcomes
Take a proactive tack with your hospitals.No person is an island, and neither is a nursing... Read more
Inservicing Tip:
Develop A Training 'Quid Pro Quo' With
To share is to improve care ...  and a "training exchange" with your referring hospit... Read more
Medicare Legislation:
6 Payment-Related Provisions In The New Medicare Reform Law You Won't Want To Miss
The mammoth Medicare reform law contains some good news for nursing facilities on the paym... Read more
MDS, Billing & Clinical News To Use
Check out the updated Beers list of potentially dangerous drugs for older adults. An exper... Read more
Coding Quizzer:
Coding RT In Section P
Question:  Can you code respiratory therapy treatments provided by a nurse in Section... Read more
Payment & Compliance:
6 RUG Patterns Your Facility Should Beware
Look closely for lost dollars, compliance red flags.Watch out: Your RUGs have quite a stor... Read more
Don't Let Therapy Minutes Slip By The MDS
Is your facility making these 4 common mistakes?Minutes count when it comes to calculating... Read more
Coding Quizzer:
Code This Resident's Toilet Use
Scenario: Mrs. M has had bouts of vertigo. One staff person must  assist and support ... Read more
RAI Compliance:
Keep These Red Herrings Out Of Your MDS Net
5 practices that can artificially inflate your QIs/QMs.When faced with outlier QM or QI sc... Read more
Documentation Tip:
Flow Sheets Not Flowing?
Here's an easy solution.The MDS coordinator shouldn't rely on the ADL flow sheets alone to... Read more
IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
Loch Haven Nursing Facility, What Facilities Need To Know About Taking The MDS Paperless
The road to an integrated EMR system is paved with payoffs...and trade-offs. Do you ever ... Read more
MDS Technology:
Does A High-Tech MDS System Really Produce High-Revenue Returns?
Technology can be a boon when it comes to getting the most out of the MDS process, but it ... Read more
MDS, Billing & Clinical News To Use
Check out the new consolidated billing transmittals. The Centers for Medicare & Medica... Read more
SPECIAL NEW YEAR SUPPLEMENT - Find Out What The New Quality Measures Have In Store
The risk adjustment is a whole new ballgame. Ready or not: The new Nursing Home Quality In... Read more
Test Yourself:
Consolidated Billing
Scenario: Resident A needs radiation therapy. So, the facility contacts the vendor to obta... Read more
SPECIAL NEW YEAR SUPPLEMENT - Prepare For The New QMs Now
Here are the inside secrets to succeed.What's the best strategy to prepare for the new pub... Read more
Boost Your Flu And Pneumonia Immunization Rates Now
Heads up:  A publicly reported quality measure looking at flu and pneumonia immunizat... Read more
Available Years:  2004  2003