MDS Alert

MDS 3.0 preparation will be heating up again in October, if the revised timeline stays on track. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expects to publish the final MDS 3.0 data specifications, including RUGs, RAP triggers, and quality measures/quality indicators, in October 2009. It will also publish the MDS 3.0 data elements, which includes admission, quarterly,swing bed, and discharge MDSs. Also look for publication of the MDS 3.0 RAI User's Manual.

The timeline calls for MDS 3.0 implementation on Oct. 1, 2010.

Resource: Review the entire revised timeline for MDS 3.0 at www.cms.hhs.gov/NursingHomeQualityInits/Downloads/MDS302010ImplementationTimeline.pdf.

The transition to ICD-10-CM might be a little less painful thanks to new tools from CMS. The tools help you crosswalk from the current diagnosis code set (ICD-9-CM) to the new one. CMS' general equivalence mappings offer a backward and forward crosswalk tool to help you convert diagnosis codes between the two systems. In some cases, you won't find a direct one-toone match between the code sets. Instead, one ICD-9 code may lead you to several options on the ICD-10 code set.

Resources: Review the general equivalency mappings at www.cms.hhs.gov/ICD10/02m_2009_ICD_10_CM.asp. CMS will hold a May 19 conference call that will provide an ICD-10 overview, an explanation of the mappings, and ICD-10 transition planning advice. More information about the call is online at www.cms.hhs.gov/ICD10/07a_2009_CMS_Sponsored_Calls.asp.