CMS has ended the PBJ staffing data submission waiver included in the COVID-19 emergency blanket waiver. In a letter released June 25, CMS announced that facilities are once again required to submit their April–June PBJ data by the normal August 14 deadline. CMS also decided NOT to require the submission … Read More
QSO 20-34-NH posted – Numerous items you need to know (PBJ is one of them)
The actual subject title of QSO-20-34-NH is this: Changes to Staffing Information and Quality Measures Posted on the Nursing Home Compare Website and Five Star Quality Rating System due to the COVID19 Public Health Emergency That’s a mouthful. Here’s the CMS-provided summary of its contents: I’m going to point out … Read More
ALERT: Submit your COVID-19 data daily through NHSN to avoid fines
On May 6, 2020, CMS announced that nursing homes are required to report COVID-19 data through the CDC’s National Health Safety Network (NHSN) reporting system to ensure appropriate tracking, response, and mitigation of COVID-19 in nursing homes. To be compliant with the new requirement, facilities must submit the data through … Read More
Major organizational change to reduce provider and clinician burden and improve patient outcomes
On Tuesday, June 23, 2020, CMS announced the “creation of the Office of Burden Reduction and Health Informatics to unify the agency’s efforts to reduce regulatory and administrative burden and to further the goal of putting patients first. The new office is an outgrowth of the agency’s Patients over Paperwork … Read More
CMS-R-131 ABN form renewed
The ABN, Form CMS-R-131, and form instructions have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal. The use of the renewed form with the expiration date of 06/30/2023 will be mandatory on 8/31/2020. The ABN form and instructions may be found at: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-General-Information/BNI/ABN. The previous form … Read More