DOH Posts Updated Instructions on MDS Section S
The Department of Health (DOH) has posted updated instructions to provide nursing homes with guidance on completing Section S of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) Version 3.0. The Department had received approval earlier this year from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to modify Section S, with an effective date of Oct. 1, 2017. LeadingAge NY worked with DOH on the modified instructions.
Section S was revised to add Items S0185 – Discharge to hospital: Healthcare proxy involvement; S6500 – Comfort Care provided in the last 14 days; and S8015 – MMIS Identification Number. In addition, Item S0160 – Specialty Unit / Facility Reimbursement, or Resident Eligible for Enhanced Reimbursement (Add?On) for AIDS or TBI Conditions was modified to add Neurodegenerative Unit, a new type of discrete unit recently authorized in regulations, as a possible response. The revised instructions also include guidance on Item S8055 – Primary Payor and Item S7000 – Dental Care.
Members that accessed the updated Section S instructions when they were first posted on Oct. 18th should note that DOH has made two revisions to that initial version which are now incorporated in the current version:
- S8055 – Primary Payor: DOH clarified that residents who are enrolled in Medicare managed care plans should still be reported as Code 1 (Medicare), and not as Code 9 (None of the Above); and
- S0185 – Discharge to hospital: DOH clarified that if the assessment is not a discharge assessment and/or the resident is not being discharged to an acute hospital (i.e., this question is not applicable), a dash should be entered in the box.
Members that have any questions on the Section S revisions should direct them to DOH as follows, with a copy to us:
- Items S0185, S6500, and S7000, email to nhqp@health.ny.gov;
- Item S8015, email to doh.sm.MLTC.System.issues@health.ny.gov; and
- Items S0160 or S8055, email to PRImail@health.ny.gov.
Contact: Dan Heim, dheim@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866