July 2026 Quarterly Update to SNF Consolidated Billing HCPCS Codes

Transmittal # R13684CP Issue Date 2026-03-26 Subject July 2026 Quarterly Update to Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Codes Used for Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Consolidated Billing (CB) Enforcement Implementation Date 2026-07-06 CR # 14427 Provider Education MLN Matters Article MM14427 Provider Education Release Date 2026-03-26 Publication # 100-04 Transmittal Year 2026 The Part A file updates …

PaltMED Ethics Toolkit

From the Introduction: “This toolkit aims to [provide] an overview of fundamental ethical principles and decision-making frameworks tailored to PALTC settings. Designed for nursing home medical directors and other members of the interdisciplinary care team, it offers practical strategies for navigating ethical challenges, supporting staff in ethical decision-making, and fostering …

MDS 3.0 Quality Measures (QM) User’s Manual v18.0 Effective Jan. 1, 2026 and Associated Files — Plus Errata

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is publishing an errata change table document to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Quality Measures (QM) User’s Manual v18.0, related to the clarification of details for the Long-Stay Antipsychotic measure in Chapter 1, Section 6. This errata is being issued to …

CMS Nursing Home Data Sets Updated

Medicare Claims Quality Measures Quality measures that are based on Medicare claims data. Each row contains a specific quality measure for a specific nursing home and includes the risk-adjusted score. Last Modified: March 1, 2026 Released: March 25, 2026 Planned Update: April 29, 2026 Download Ownership A list of ownership information for currently …

Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers/Injuries: Quick Reference Guide Prevention Recommendations

Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers/Injuries: Quick Reference Guide Prevention Recommendations The International Guideline Fourth edition Updated 25 February 2026 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6479484083027f25a6246fcb/t/699ba2b43f12157598b99c71/1771807412881/QRG-abridged-25Feb2026.pdf or https://www.internationalguideline.com/the-international-guideline

Q&A: If a resident’s last Medicare Part A covered day is the day before the physical discharge from the facility, can the PPS Discharge and OBRA Discharge assessments be combined?

Question: A resident’s last therapy day was on 3/5. He didn’t go home until the afternoon of the next day, 3/6. Can I combine the OBRA Discharge and the PPS Discharge assessments, or since the last covered day and physical discharge are different days, do they need to be done …

Q&A: A resident’s wheelchair tipped backward in therapy. The physical therapy assistant was able to catch him, but it resulted in a skin tear to the arm. The resident remained in the wheelchair and did not come to rest on the ground. Should this be coded as a fall?

Question: A resident’s wheelchair tipped backward in therapy. The physical therapy assistant was able to catch him, but it resulted in a skin tear to the arm. The resident remained in the wheelchair and did not come to rest on the ground. Should this be coded as a fall? Answer …

Q&A: A resident on a Medicare Part A stay was sent to the emergency department by ambulance at 6:45 p.m. on Feb. 2 and returned to the facility just after midnight without being admitted to the hospital. Would this situation qualify as an interrupted stay?

Question: A resident on a Medicare Part A stay was sent to the emergency department by ambulance at 6:45 p.m. on Feb. 2 and returned to the facility just after midnight without being admitted to the hospital. Would this situation qualify as an interrupted stay? Answer from Jeff Taylor:The interrupted …