Are You Aware of the MDS Validation Program?

Hopefully, you (and your Minimum Data Set (MDS) Coordinator or Resident Nurse Assessment Coordinator (RNAC)) are aware of the importance of checking the Validation Reports after submitting MDS assessments. This has always been the expectation and best practice to find any errors in a timely manner, make corrections, and ensure that MDS submissions are accurate and accepted. If you are in the habit of checking your Validation Reports in the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation…

Telehealth Reset: What September 30, 2025 Means for Compliance and Care

When Mrs. Smith’s twice-weekly home telehealth check-ins stopped being clearly reimbursable, her clinic had only a few hours to figure out whether visits should move to in-person or risk denied claims. That is the real-world choice facing thousands of clinicians and compliance teams now that the Public Health Emergency (PHE) telehealth flexibilities waiver has expired due to no resolution and a government shutdown at midnight on September 30, 2025. Congressional actions failed to pass H.R.…

Understanding the CMS Signature Compliance for SNFs

Signature compliance isn’t just about meeting a technical requirement. For Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), it plays a direct role in ensuring Medicare reimbursement, defending claims during audits, and supporting timely, appropriate patient care. Facilities need to pay close attention to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) signature requirements. What CMS Requires: Timely, Accurate, and Verifiable Signatures CMS has long required that signatures on medical records be complete, legible, and timely. In most cases,…