Industry experts help providers navigate upcoming changes scheduled for October.
This post originally appeared on HCPro's Post-Acute Advisor.
The proposed replacement of RUG-IV with RCS-1 is scheduled for implementation in October 2018, and HCPro is dedicated to helping providers navigate this shift every step of the way. An important change introduced by RCS-1 affects capturing of ADLs and a reduction in the number of assessments required.
“With RCS-1, a six-point scale will be used to assess residents’ functional abilities. The critical elements of capturing ADL scores will remain the same: timeliness and accuracy,” says Stefanie Corbett, DHA, post-acute regulatory specialist for HCPro.
While these essential components will not change, the data that was used to develop RCS-1 show in some cases that the minutes it takes to take care of a resident may decrease but ADL score may increase.
“The ADL may not reflect the number of minutes. CMS used some of the STRIVE information to make determinations on the number of minutes that it takes to care for a resident at different levels. The number of minutes are made up of clinical staff time including RNs, LPNs, and nursing assistants, so the number of minutes includes ADL info as well as nursing tasks,” said Maureen McCarthy, BS, RN, RAC-MT, QCP-MT, during her webinar presentation last month.
Miss the live show? Get the on-demand version here. Providers should keep an eye out for the updated RAI Manual that will be released this fall, which will include a new 6-point ADL functional scale for PT/OT.
Post-Acute Advisor is a free, weekly e-newsletter focused on delivering information, education, and guidance on complex topics such as MDS and care planning to help long-term care administrators and managers, reimbursement professionals, and clinical staff members break down confusing regulations into easy-to-understand processes and procedures.