New Year, New Measure: Making Sense of the Long-Stay Antipsychotic Re-Specification – Jan. 29, 2026

DNS / NAC / On-demand Webinar

Members: $25 | Non-members: $50Continuing Education: 1 CE hourRecording Date: Jan. 29, 2026Duration: 60 minutesSpeaker: Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA It’s resolution season, and this year we’re resolving to make the long-stay antipsychotic quality measure (QM) make sense! The 2026 re-specifications bring a new hybrid approach that blends MDS data with Medicare and Medicaid claims/encounter data. …

ICD-10-CM Coding Spotlight Series – Part 1: Coding with Heart: Navigating ICD-10-CM Cardiac Coding in Long-Term Care

Article / Billing and Reimbursement / NAC

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. February’s designation as American Heart Month offers an important opportunity to reflect on the role of cardiovascular health in long-term care (LTC). Cardiac conditions such as heart disease, hypertension (HTN), and heart failure are among the most frequently …

Care Planning MDROs: What the NAC Needs to Know

Article / Clinical Care Solutions / NAC

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. A strong infection prevention and control plan should serve as the foundation of the comprehensive care plan for any resident with a multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO), says Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, RAC-CT, CPC, director of education …

How to Improve Respect for the NAC Role

Leadership and Management / NAC / Podcast

In this LTC NAC Chat podcast episode, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, senior curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, discuss the self-perception of those working as the role of the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) and how …

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Q&A: The SNF QRP Data Validation Audit notification letter requested Admission and Discharge assessments. What assessments should be submitted?

Billing and Reimbursement / NAC / Q&A

Question: The Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) Data Validation Audit notification letter requested Admission and Discharge assessments. What assessments should be submitted? Answer from Jessie McGill RN, BSN, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT: On the notification letter, there are instructions for the “MDS Assessment Type is Admission” or a “Discharge.” …

Q&A: When a resident is discharged to the hospital and admitted with a diagnosis of UTI. Does the UTI get coded on the discharge return anticipated MDS? 

MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Q&A

Question: When a resident is discharged to the hospital and admitted with a diagnosis of UTI. Does the UTI get coded on the discharge return anticipated MDS?  Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC: If the diagnosis of UTI did not occur until the resident was at the …

Q&A: How do I code the “Will [care area] be addressed in the care plan” question when a resident discharges return not anticipated before the care plan is complete?  

MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Q&A

Question: How do I code the “Will [care area] be addressed in the care plan” question when a resident discharges return not anticipated before the care plan is complete?   Answer from Jennifer LaBay RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC: Federally, if the care plan was not completed because the resident …

TIP: SNF QRP Validation Audits and Resources

NAC / QAPI and Quality Initiatives / Tip

On Jan. 12, 2026, the first wave of Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) validation audits notifications arrived in the iQIES MDS 3.0 Provider Preview Reports folder for some facilities. While 1,500 randomly selected facilities will receive this audit, not all were included in this first wave. For …

CMS: Impact of Combined Assessments on SNF APU for SNF QRP

Billing and Reimbursement / DNS / MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Post-Acute Care News

Impact of Combined Assessments on SNF APU: How Medicare 5-Day and PPS Discharge Combined Assessments Affect Your Facility’s APU Calculation The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a one-page resource for SNF providers that illustrates how Medicare 5-Day and PPS Discharge combined assessments can impact the APU …