AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
2006 NH "Dear Administrator" Letters
December 8, 2006
ADSA: NH #2006-034
RESOURCE UTILIZATION GROUP (rug) REPORTS AVAILABLE ONLINE
Dear Nursing Facility/Home Administrator:
In an effort to be more efficient, the preliminary and final RUG reports for your facility can now be viewed online from a secured MDS transmission site. The Office of Rates Management (ORM) will continue to mail the preliminary reports to each nursing home, and the final reports to administrators and/or home offices. Ultimately, we would like to discontinue mailing the preliminary reports in an effort to be more efficient and to save taxpayer dollars. However, you will have sufficient notification prior to the discontinuation of mailing the preliminary reports. In the meantime, we would appreciate you taking the time to utilize the online preliminary RUG reports so that you become comfortable with this process.
Below is an estimated timeline for when the reports will be available for viewing online.
Preliminary (P) |
Cut Off Date for Quarter |
Final (F) |
|||
RUG Report Quarter |
Case Mix Timeframe |
Approximate date online |
Approximate date online |
||
First |
1/1 |
3/31 |
4/17 |
5/2 |
7/1 |
Second |
4/1 |
6/30 |
7/17 |
8/2 |
10/1 |
Third |
7/1 |
9/30 |
10/17 |
11/2 |
1/1 |
Fourth |
10/1 |
12/31 |
1/17 |
2/2 |
4/1 |
For online access, please dial into your transmission area using Internet Explorer as your web browser. (Netscape will not open the reports.)
Click on the link that says,“Receive State Reports”, located below “Receive Validation Reports.”
You will see the reports as small file names - underlined links- ending with file extensions of ‘.snp’. These reports area created in Microsoft Access and saved as ‘snapshots'. Double click on the file name. You can retrieve RUG reports only for the facility logged into MDS submission.
Reports are named with the facility Login ID, a number representing the quarter and either “P” for Preliminary or “F” for final. For example, WA0000_2P.snp would represent Acme Care Center-second quarter preliminary.
You will be prompted to open or save the report. If you save it, please note the location it is saved. (Older version of WINDOWS let you directly open the reports. Newer versions of WINDOWS have higher security levels and, therefore, force you to save the report so that it can be checked for viruses before opening.)
When the report is open, you can view or print.
RUG reports cannot be forwarded by e-mail due to security rules. CMS prohibits e-mail transmission of resident data regardless of the security or encryption level employed.
You must usethe Microsoft Access program (any version from 1997 – 2003) or the free Microsoft program called ‘Snapshot Viewer’ installed on your computer. Snapshot Viewer is, available at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads. At this site you will see two dropdown boxes in the top middle of the page. Click “Home and Office” in the first box. In the second box type ‘snapshot viewer’ and click enter. Download the file titled ‘Snapshot Viewer for Access 2003, 2002, 2000, and 1997’.
If you have any trouble accessing the reports online, please contact Shirley Stirling, MDS Automation Coordinator, at 360-725-2620 or e-mail at STIRLSA@dshs.wa.gov .
We are interested in receiving your comments regarding accessing this information via your secured transmission site. Your comments will be reviewed and will help us to determine whether it would be practical to eliminate mailing your RUG scores via mail, and begin relying completely on your access to this information at your secured site. Please contact Allen Miller with your comments either via e-mail at milleam@dshs.wa.gov, or mail at:
Allen Miller
Aging and Disability Services Administration
MS: 45600
Olympia, WA 98504
Sincerely,
Ken Callaghan, Chief
Office of Rates Management
Enclosures
cc: Interested Parties
