The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is planning to release final MDS 3.0 validation reports, including revised reports, by 9 p.m. tonight, the agency said Thursday. A coding error caused the agency to send incorrect reports, and has led to system downtime and confusion among nursing home providers since Oct. 1.
In a website update, the agency said Thursday that it has identified the system problem that caused errors to appear in the RUG-III and RUG-IV codes printed on facility final validation reports. All MDS 3.0 files submitted since Oct. 1 will be edited, CMS said. RUG data is essential for billing and other facility operations functions in nursing homes.
The transmission system remains in operation and all providers may submit MDS 3.0 records, which will generate confirmation that the MDS 3.0 files have been received, CMS said.
The problem, which CMS acknowledged earlier this week to McKnight’s, has disrupted operations at CMS and long-term care facilities. MDS 3.0, a resident assessment tool, and major system change for providers, took effect at the beginning of the month.
