A sense of excitement, complemented by an air of relief, greeted the release of the new RAI manual that gives providers a roadmap for dealing with their new payment system.
The fact that there were no unexpected bombshells put providers in a good mood.
“It’s very nice to see it in print, and I appreciate the fact that I can see multiple examples that show me what we [had previously] heard,” noted consultant and trainer Leah Klusch, RN, BSN, the executive director of The Alliance Training Center. “[The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s] team seems to be working very hard to have the manual be as descriptive and specific as it can be — and it’s clinically sound.”
Jane Belt, MSN, a curriculum development specialist for the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators, said the nearly 1,300-page document answers a lot of questions.
“If there was any doubt that PDPM was going to happen October 1, 2019, this draft version should take it away,” Belt said. “It’s a draft, but it really clarifies some of the items that will be in there.”
Like others in the field, Belt independently joined Klusch in observing that the manual should contain “nothing shocking” for anyone who has paid close attention to previous government notices and education efforts.
