CMS Releases MDS 3.0 Manual update EARLY!

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Sue Boyd

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has officially posted a draft version of the new MDS 3.0 RAI Manual v1.17 Oct. 1, 2019 that will help Skilled Nursing Facilities with transitioning to the Patient-Drive Payment Model.  

CMS released the draft version early due to stakeholder feedback. One word of caution as you go through the changes: CMS indicated that what was posted is an “early release” and that we must “check back prior to Oct. 1 for a final posting which may contain additional updates.” 

The MDS 3.0 RAI Manual v1.17 contains many updates including information related to the Patient-Driven Payment Model. The Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is effective Oct. 1. This new case-mix model focuses on the patient’s condition and resulting care needs rather than on the amount of care provided to determine Medicare payment. 

Even though it’s officially labeled a “draft” document, you can start preparing for the biggest changes to payment and resident classification processes in more than a generation. In examining the draft version, there are massive changes in Chapter 2 (dealing with assessments) and brand-new Chapter 6 (about PDPM and payment provisions). Completing an MDS will required more interdisciplinary communication so there is a need for interdisciplinary team to be aware of what’s changed in the manual. 

How can your setting learn about the changes with the MDS 3.0 and PDPM?

LeadingAge Minnesota is offering a variety of trainings and resources to assist:

• Register your IDT team for one of four July workshops: A Team Approach to Operationalizing PDPM;
• Watch for a webinar in July on MDS Changes and Common Coding Errors;
• Look for future Advantage articles that will take a deeper dive into the MDS 3.0 RAI Manual v1.17 and PDPM.
• Visit the PDPM web page on our website.

Click to read more and download from CMS. The MDS 3.0 RAI Manual V1.17_October 2019 is located at the bottom of the page.