Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. When a long-stay resident loses the ability to walk independently, it is rarely just a functional decline. It is often the early signal of a deeper issue: an untreated condition, an environmental barrier, a missed therapy opportunity, or …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the updated Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131. The notice had expired in January 2026, but CMS instructed facilities to continue issuing the expired notice until the new notice is available. The updated ABN is effective now and …
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 …
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 …
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 …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is making our shareholders aware of the “Adoption of Standards for Health Care Claims Attachments Transactions and Electronic Signatures (CMS-0053-F)” Final Rule that displayed today, March 20, 2026, and will …
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the control number for the Advance Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABN) (CMS-R-131). CMS is notifying the industry through our website, and the Medicare Learning Network and has posted the updated version of the ABN below. The updated ABN is effective now …
Report Materials Why OIG Did This Review What OIG Found OIG’s comprehensive review of 40 nursing home inspections completed by CMS found instances of nursing homes inappropriately diagnosing residents with schizophrenia. Specifically, our review of these inspections found instances in which: What OIG Recommends OIG recommends that CMS: CMS did …
This user manual provides information for CMS, Providers, Vendors, Accrediting Organizations, Contractors, and State Agencies to effectively perform Reports functions and the processes necessary to request, view, download, and save reports in iQIES. From https://qtso.cms.gov/software/iqies/reference-manuals
Free access 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines This guideline retires and replaces the 2018 Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. It addresses the evaluation, management, and monitoring of individuals with dyslipidemias, …
