Are you ready for MDS 3.0 v1.19.1? Next Fall, more data set changes are in the works.
In the FY 2024 Final Rule, CMS adopted the COVID-19 Vaccine: Percent of Patients/Residents Who Are Up to Date (Patient/Resident COVID-19 Vaccine) measure into the SNF QRP. This new measure will affect the QRP APU starting FY 2026.
The FY 2024 final rule indicated that data for calculating this measure will be collected using a new standardized item on the MDS. The draft technical specifications are in the downloads section of the SNF QRP website.
Each year CMS posts a document titled “Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) Overview of Data Elements Used for Reporting Assessment-Based Quality Measures and Standardized Patient Assessment Data Elements Affecting FY XXXX Annual Payment Update (APU) Determination” also in the downloads section of the SNF QRP website. This document details the SNF QRP required items on the MDS required for reporting.
This document for FY 2026 has three notable revisions.
1. Q4 FY 2024 QRP reporting requirements, located in column six, now indicate that data will come from MDS 3.0 v1.19.1.
2. The addition of MDS item O0350 “Resident’s COVID-19 vaccination is up to date” is required on the new MDS, as of Q4 FY 2024.
3. In the FY 2024 Final Rule, CMS finalized the removal of the SNF QRP measure, Application of Percent of Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Patients with an Admission and Discharge Functional Assessment and a Care Plan That Addresses Function (Application of Functional Assessment/Care Plan) measure beginning with the FY 2025 SNF QRP.
Among the requirements for the calculation of this measure was the recording of a discharge goal for at least one self-care or mobility item on the PPS 5-Day assessment. Since this measure retires as of the FY 2025 SNF QRP, the goal column is redundant.
Because the discharge goal will no longer be required for SNF QRP reporting due to the removal of the applicable measure, these items will no longer be required for the SNF QRP and they have been removed from the FY 2026 reporting requirements.
The question is whether they disappear from the MDS 3.0 v1.19.1 next fall. If I were to guess, I land on the side of removal since they exist primarily due to the IMPACT Act QRP measure which is no longer in the FY 2024 final rule. We shall see.
There’s never a dull moment in Post Acute Care!
