The American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN) surveys nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) every other year on aspects of their work, salary, and time. The 2025 AAPACN NAC Work Study and Salary Report offers valuable insights into the challenges NACs face that can help with staff retention. The study also …
AAPACN has re-released the Nurse Assessment Coordinator (NAC) FTE Calculator for SNF leaders to estimate the time needed to complete assessments as well as project how many hours the NAC needs for meetings and other duties. This AAPACN resource is copyright protected. AAPACN individual members may download or print one …
Regulation No. CMS-1827-F Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026; Final Rule Year 2026 Publication Date 2025-08-04 This rule (CMS-1827-F) is currently on public display at the Federal Register and will publish on August 4, …
On July 31, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule for updates to Medicare payment policies and rates for skilled nursing facilities under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2026. CMS is publishing this final rule in …
Members: $25 | Non-members: $50Continuing Education: 1.5 CE hoursRecording Date: Aug. 21, 2025 Duration: 90 minutesSpeaker: Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC It is time to prepare for the FY 2026 ICD-10-CM coding updates, which go into effect on Oct. 1, 2025. HIPAA requires that the facility’s clinical team ensure accurate diagnoses are …
Members: $25 | Non-members: $50Continuing Education: 1.5 CE hoursRecording Date: July 24, 2025 Duration: 90 minutesSpeaker: Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA The Fourth of July fireworks are over, so now it’s time to light a new fuse—on Five-Star success! Nearly every piece of Minimum Data Set (MDS) coding plays a role in shaping …
In skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), staff members often find the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) process complex and unfamiliar, especially when determining how Medicare (and, in many states, Medicaid) payment is calculated. PDPM is based on five separate case-mix adjusted components: Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech Language Pathology (SLP), …
Question: A resident elected hospice on July 9, 2025. What is the required completion date for the Significant Change in Status Assessment (SCSA), and what steps should be taken if the resident passes away before the assessment is completed? Answer from Scott Heichel RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, QCP, ICC, IPCO: …
Question: Is aspirin coded as an antiplatelet in N0415I? Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC: The RAI User’s Manual includes aspirin as an antiplatelet medication on page N-9: “N0415I1. Antiplatelet: Check if an antiplatelet medication (e.g., aspirin/extended release, dipyridamole, clopidogrel) was taken by the resident at any …
Question: How do we code interviews that were not complete when a Medicare resident has an unplanned discharge to the hospital? Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC: If the interviews were not completed, you would need to answer the gateway question that ‘Yes’ the resident interview should …
