With so many Quality Measures originating from three different payment initiative programs, it’s a lot to keep track of. AAPACN’s At-a-Glance QM, QRP, and VBP tool organizes all of the measures for you. This tool has been updated with the MDS 3.0 Quality Measures User’s Manual Version 18.0 (January 2026), the Five-Star Quality Rating System …
The PDPM At-a-Glance tool breaks down the complex methodology of each component used in the Patient-Driven Payment Model—Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Nursing, and Non-Therapy Ancillary (NTA). This tool organizes key payment information to give the nurse assessment coordinator and interdisciplinary team quick access to the …
When a resident’s condition changes during the Medicare Part A stay, the facility team must decide if an Interim Payment Assessment (IPA) is indicated. The AAPACN IPA Quick Calculator interactive tool can help the team analyze the changes in HIPPS codes, case-mix groups, case-mix indexes, and rates. Two tools are …
AAPACN’s ADR Help: HIPPS Code Analyzer interactive tool helps identify the documentation elements that may have contributed to the HIPPS code assigned to an assessment selected for Additional Documentation Request (ADR) review. Designed to support the ADR record review process, the tool highlights the clinical, coding, and documentation areas that …
The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Measure Calculations and Reporting User’s Manual v8.0 and accompanying files are now available. These materials serve as an update to the specifications used to calculate quality measures that are included in the SNF QRP and will be effective beginning October 1, 2026. The …
CMS released the FY 2025 Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) for skilled nursing facilities. Your PEPPER helps you review your billing data to make sure claims are accurate. Use it to: How to Get Your PEPPER Authorized officials (AOs), access managers (AMs), and staff end users (SEUs) …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Oct. 1, 2026 launches a three-year countdown. The director of nursing services (DNS), the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC), and other nurse leaders will need to engage collaboratively in long-range planning so that the entire interdisciplinary team (IDT) will …
ICD-10-CM coding requires consistent and complete documentation from the provider (physician/nonphysician practitioner) to support all aspects and specific details of the diagnosis. This AAPACN Provider ICD-10-CM Documentation Tip Sheet for Long-Term Care highlights documentation elements that may be necessary to support ICD-10-CM code selection in the long-term care (LTC) setting. …
The ICD-10-CM Coding Convention Terminology Quick Reference Guide provides a concise reference to key ICD-10-CM coding terminology and conventions for long-term care nurse assessment coordinators and coders. This guide simplifies complex terms and coding rules including clear definitions of common terms, a list of important abbreviations, and key coding conventions. …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training that provides an overview of the SNF VBP Program. The SNF VBP New Measure Training reviews recently adopted quality measures (QMs), their role in the SNF VBP Program, and how these QMs may impact program performance assessment, program …
