Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Briggs’ family member ezPBJ has reached out to CMS since the March 28, 2020 release of Long Term Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities and/or Nursing Facilities): CMS Flexibilities to Fight COVID-19. That waiver reads: “Staffing Data Submission: CMS is waiving 42 CFR 483.70(q) to provide…… Continue reading LTC ALERT: PBJ Reporting Waiver Issued by CMS

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare AHCA (American Health Care Association) and NCAL (National Center for Assisted Living) had updated guidance on accepting admissions from hospitals during this COVID-19 pandemic.  The guidance was revised/updated on March 30, 2020. “The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to long term care…… Continue reading AHCA/NCAL Guidance: Accepting Admissions from Hospitals During COVID-19 Pandemic – Revised

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are issuing new recommendations to State and local governments and long-term care facilities (also known as nursing homes) to help mitigate the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus…… Continue reading Updated CMS and CDC COVID-19 Guidance for LTC

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has updated Appendix B of the RAI Manual.  The effective date of the revision is March 26, 2020. If you’re not familiar with Appendix B, this Appendix B contains the list of State RAI Coordinators, MDS Automation Coordinators, RAI Panel members and Regional Office…… Continue reading RAI Manual – Updated Appendix B List Posted

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted a Fact Sheet dated March 28, 2020 that outline recent emergency declaration and emergency rule making. These temporary changes will apply immediately across the entire U.S. healthcare system for the duration of the emergency declaration. This 5-page document provides a few details…… Continue reading LTC/SNF: CMS Flexibilities to Fight COVID-19

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On Friday, March 27th, I shared a blog from Briggs’ Lisa Selman-Holman regarding the new ICD-10 code for COVID-19 and vaping that is to be used beginning April 1st. Lisa is sharing an updated blog on that same topic with more specifics to LTC. Thanks…… Continue reading New ICD-10 Code for COVID-19 Effective April 1

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS’ QIES Technical Support Office posted an update – jRAVEN 1.7.3 for jRAVEN software users on March 31, 2020. Release Notes jRAVEN (version 1.7.3) is now available for download which contains the following updates: The new COVID-19 ICD code has been added, effective 4/1/2020. In…… Continue reading jRAVEN Update Available

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On March 27, 2020, CMS posted this notification on the MDS 3.0 Technical website.  It was previously posted on the RAI Manual website on March 19th.  In case you missed it then and there, here it is again: CMS is delaying the Minimum Data Set…… Continue reading Repeat Information on Delay of MDS Item Set for October 1, 2020