Updates

iQIES notice: Change Request Forms For MDS

ALERT: There is a new location for accessing the Patient Assessment Change Request Forms effective immediately. The Change Request Forms for MDS, OASIS, IRF, LTCH, and Hospice can be found at iQIES Help.  

Please note that State OASIS and State RAI/MDS Coordinators must submit completed and signed forms to the iQIES Service Center by Certified Mail through the US Postal Service Center. 

All Change Request Forms will be retired on the QTSO website. Please dispose of any existing hard or electronic copies containing the old address: 1401 50th St. Suite 200. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the iQIES Service Center by email: iqies@cms.hhs.gov or by phone: (800) 339-9313. To create a new ticket online, track an existing ticket, or recover your HARP password account, please use the CCSQ Support Central: Self-Service Portal. 

Discharge Function Score Quality Measure and OASIS coding 

NEW Home Health OASIS-based Outcome Measure: Discharge Function Score

The new Home Health OASIS-based outcome measure, Discharge Function Score, is planned to be publicly reported on Care Compare in January 2025, or as soon as technically feasible. There are eleven (11) OASIS GG items that are included in calculations to measure your patient’s functional status for this outcome measure. Additionally, it is important to remember that OASIS accuracy may impact your agency’s quality measure results. 

Reminders for coding the OASIS GG items

To accurately calculate a Discharge Function Score for the patients at your agency, these OASIS coding tips, can be found in the CMS OASIS-E Guidance Manual Outcome and Assessment Information Set OASIS-E Manual (cms.gov):

1. One clinician does take responsibility for the completion of the comprehensive assessment, but they can elicit feedback from other agency staff acting within their scope of practice and can consider input from other sources.

2. Observation, interview, collaboration, and assessment of similar activities and other relevant strategies can be used to complete any and all OASIS items as needed.

3. Use of an activity not attempted code should occur only after determining that the activity was not completed and that the performance code cannot be determined based on any of the strategies above

Quarter One 2024 OASIS Updates & Guidance Manual Changes 

The updated 2024 OASIS-E Guidance Manual includes guidance and clarifications in Sections A, C, D, GG, I, J, K, N, and O. There were also updated references in Appendix E and minor edits in Appendix F.

Included in the new manual’s Introduction, Chapter 1, is a new section under “Who Completes OASIS?” (1.5.4) regarding OT completion of OASIS. The addition further clarifies changes to OT completion of SOC assessments in cases where SN is NOT ordered on Medicare referrals but does include PT and/or ST along with OT:

“An OT may conduct and complete the initial assessment and SOC comprehensive assessment when the need for occupational therapy establishes program eligibility. While occupational therapy alone does not establish eligibility for the Medicare home health benefit at the start of care, occupational therapy may establish eligibility under other programs, such as Medicaid.” 

The remaining changes to the 2024 OASIS E Guidance Manual all pertained to Item-Specific Guidance in Chapter 3. 

Since OASIS data items are used in calculation of payment, Quality Reporting, Value-Based Purchasing, and/or the certification survey process, agency staff should be aware that publicly published information and payment are impacted by the accuracy of collection of OASIS data. Agencies would be well served to budget resources for OASIS training to ensure assessing staff understand the intent and item guidance for these changes.