AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

2006 NH "Dear Administrator" Letters

January 16, 2006

ADSA: NH # 2006-002
REVISIONS TO RAI USER’S MANUAL

Dear Nursing Facility/Home Administrator:

This letter contains important information for facility staff responsible for completing the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the release of the seventh set of updates to the December 2002 revision of the Long Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument User’s Manual Version 2.0. The changes, which include clarifications of existing policy, are effective as of the CMS posting date (December 20, 2005). The changes are primarily related to the new Medicare 53 group RUG-III SNF PPS that is effective January 1, 2006, as well as some new language related to item W1, the National Provider Identification number.

The update document is 32 pages in length and includes the following:

• A one page revision table identifying the changes
• A one page replacement for the title page.
• 6 replacement pages in Chapter 2: The Assessment Schedule for the RAI
• 9 replacement pages in Chapter 3: Item-by-item Guide to the MDS
• 15 replacement pages for the entire Appendix A: Glossary and Common Acronyms

The revisions are available on the CMS website at:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/nursinghomequalityinits/20_nhqimds20.asp

Scroll down the page to the “Downloads” section, then select “December Update 2005”.

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Marjorie Ray, RN, Washington State RAI Coordinator, at (360) 725-2487 or e-mail at rayma@dshs.wa.gov.

Sincerely,

Joyce Pashley Stockwell, Director
Residential Care Services