CMS streamlines paperwork for nursing homes/care givers
Beginning July 1, skilled nursing facilities will be able to use a shorter version of an assessment form used to gather information needed to pay Medicare claims. The shorter form will cut the time that it takes for nurses to fill out forms in half, from ninety minutes to forty-five minutes, while continuing to collect data needed to measure the quality of care in nursing homes.
The new form, which is three-and-one half pages long, could be used to update a Medicare beneficiary's condition on days 5, 14, 30, 60 and 90 of the person's stay in the nursing home. The form includes all the information needed to ensure Medicare pays correctly and to measure quality of care and can also be used for other updates required by Medicare. It includes all of the elements needed for new quality measures that can help consumers compare nursing homes. The quality measures along with other comparative information are available at Medicare's consumer Web site, www.medicare.gov under Nursing Home Compare. Nursing homes will still be required to use the full MDS for each resident no later than fourteen days after the resident's admission, to conduct an annual assesssment and to note a significant change in status for a resident.
To view the new shorter form visit the CMS Web site at: