Provider Letter No. 17-24 All Providers who used the Nurse Aide Registry(NAR) from June 14, 2017, through August 3, 2017 are now required by HHSC to recheck the status searches due to an error by contractor Pearson Vue which placed ineligible nurse aides on “Active” status and mailed these ineligible individuals an invalid certificate. This error also caused 50 inaccurate event-based emails to be sent to 19 individual candidates. If a search result now shows that a nurse aide is not in … [Read more...] about HHSC Requires Providers to Immediately Redo all Nurse Aide Registry Status Searches
Latest Pre-admission Screening and Resident Review – Quality Service Reviews
Provider Letter No. 17-22 - Quality service reviews (QSRs) of the implementation of policies, procedures, and improvements relating to the Pre-admission Screening and Resident Review Process (PASRR) will be conducted and the process will continue with Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) staff. HHS QSR staff will continue to conduct QSRs of nursing facilities, community-based Medicaid service providers, and Local IDD Authorities (LIDDAs) that provide service coordination and other services … [Read more...] about Latest Pre-admission Screening and Resident Review – Quality Service Reviews
Effective immediately, facilities must include DADS-provided, web-based PASRR training.
Provider Letter No. 17-16 – Guidelines Regarding Plans of Correction Associated with a PASRR ViolationNursing facilities (NFs) must comply with both state and federal requirements related to Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR). Effective immediately, facilities must include DADS-provided, web-based PASRR training for, at a minimum, the nursing facility administrator and the director of nursing in all POCs associated with any PASRR violation. POCs that do not include such training … [Read more...] about Effective immediately, facilities must include DADS-provided, web-based PASRR training.
DADS will begin reviewing and retiring, revising and/or reissuing provider letters issued eight years ago or more
Provider Letter No. 17-08 – Process for Retiring Provider LettersThe goals of this retire or revise initiative are to streamline DADS regulatory policies, reduce provider and stakeholder confusion, and manage the volume of letters with which DADS-regulated facilities, agencies, and licensees are expected to be familiar. DADS will begin issuing a series of program specific PLs that announce the list of letters that are being retired.Please be advised that notice that a letter is being retired … [Read more...] about DADS will begin reviewing and retiring, revising and/or reissuing provider letters issued eight years ago or more
Top Non-Compliance Trends with the Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) Requirements
Top Non-Compliance Trends with the Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) Requirements The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) is issuing this provider letter to remind providers that individuals with mental illness (MI), an intellectual disability (ID), or a developmental disability (DD) must be identified prior to NF admission. If a NF admits an individual with MI, an ID, or a DD, the NF must also ensure the individual receives the specialized services … [Read more...] about Top Non-Compliance Trends with the Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) Requirements
Rule Amendments in Title 40, Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Chapter 19
Rule Amendments in Title 40, Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Chapter 19Nursing Facility Requirements for Licensure and Medicaid Certification; and Chapter 92, Licensing Standards for Assisted Living Facilities The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) has added new rules and amended existing rules in 40 TAC Chapters 19 and 92 regarding procedures that require a facility to request guardianship orders for a resident, and to disclose whether a facility is certified to … [Read more...] about Rule Amendments in Title 40, Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Chapter 19
Supporting Physician Documentation
In accordance with the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act of 2012 (IPERIA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducted a Payment Error Rate Measurement (PERM) review for FY 2014 claims from NFs and ICFs/IID. From the review, CMS identified deficient practices related to documentation of physician services. As a result, this letter serves to remind you about some of the rules that require documentation related to physician services. If you do not … [Read more...] about Supporting Physician Documentation
Facility Responsibility in Discharges and Transfers
The purpose of this letter is to clarify the difference between transferring and discharging a resident from a NF. The determining factor that differentiates a transfer from a discharge is the assumption of responsibility for a resident’s care and not the resident’s movement.• Transfer – The releasing facility maintains responsibility for a resident’s care.• Discharge – The releasing facility ceases to have responsibility for a resident’s care.This letter also provides federal and state … [Read more...] about Facility Responsibility in Discharges and Transfers
New Tool for Reporting Survey Inconsistencies
The new Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) provider feedback tool allows providers to report survey inconsistencies related to the interpretation and application of ICF/IID and NF regulations and rules. DADS Survey Operations will use the data gathered to identify and research inconsistencies, guide and enhance training, and improve policies and procedures.In order to report specific survey inconsistencies, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HHCHZVV. You will need to … [Read more...] about New Tool for Reporting Survey Inconsistencies
New Billing Codes for Preadmission Screening and Resident Review Durable Medical Equipment (Replaces Information Letter No. 15-03)
The purpose of this letter is to notify nursing facility providers that effective February 1, 2016, all Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) standing frame/table systems and positioning devices/wedges approved by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) on or after November 1, 2015, must be billed using the billing information below.Nursing facility providers must continue to bill all other PASRR durable medical equipment (DME) using the existing billing … [Read more...] about New Billing Codes for Preadmission Screening and Resident Review Durable Medical Equipment (Replaces Information Letter No. 15-03)
