On October 1, 2015 a new version of the RAI Manual became effective, Version 1.13. Most of the changes were minor but there is one important change to point out. Prior to the update, Significant Change MDS’s were required if a resident enrolled in or discontinued hospice. Those rules are still in effect, but now, a Significant Change MDS is also required when a resident changes hospice providers and remains a resident at the nursing home. This new rule is in the RAI manual in Chapter 2 on page 21. A Significant Change MDS may also be required in situations when the hospice providing services is purchased by another hospice provider.
The new manual can be found at: www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursinghomeQualityInits/MDS30RAIManual.html. Scroll to the bottom of the page. The first link is the ENTIRE Manual. The second link is just the pages that have been changed as of October 1, 2015. You will also find a summary of the changes in the second link.
If you have any questions, you may contact Stacey Bryan, BSN, RN, State RAI Coordinator, Department of Health & Senior Services, Telephone 573-751-6308 or E-mail Stacey.bryan@health.mo.gov.