OASIS E-1: Is Your Agency Ready for January 1st Updates?

OASIS E-1: Is Your Agency Ready for January 1st Updates?

The transition from OASIS-E to OASIS E-1 is just around the corner. This blog will walk you through the upcoming changes to ensure your agency is prepared.

Beginning January 1, 2025, home health agencies will transition to OASIS E-1.

The primary revision in OASIS E-1 is the addition of a new item: O0350 – Patient’s COVID-19 vaccination is up to date. This item is tied to the COVID Vaccine Quality Measure (QM) finalized in the Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Home Health (HH) Prospective Payment System Final Rule (CMS-1780-F).

00350 Explained:

• Code “0, No, patient is not up to date” if the patient does not meet the CDC’s definition of “up to date.” This includes:
  • Patients who have not received one or more recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses for any reason — including medical, religious, or other qualified exemptions.
  • Patients for whom vaccine status cannot be determined.
• Code “1, Yes, patient is up to date” if the patient meets the CDC’s definition of “up to date.”
  • If the clinician is unsure whether the patient is up to date with vaccines, they should reference the latest CDC guidelines.
• A dash (-) is a valid response, indicating the item was not assessed. However, CMS expects dash use to be a rare occurrence.

Key Points About 00350:

• This question appears on the Transfer, Death at Home, and Discharge assessments.
• Information about the patient’s COVID-19 vaccine status can be obtained from any available source, including:
  • The patient’s medical record
  • The patient, caregivers, or healthcare providers.
• If the patient is not up to date, the agency may vaccinate the patient if the vaccine is available.

Other key changes in OASIS-E1

Removed Items:

• M0110 – Episode Timing
• M2200 – Therapy Need
• GG0130 – Self-Care (Discharge Column Only)
• GG0170 – Mobility (Discharge Column Only)

Revised Items:

• D0150 Patient’s Mood Interview (PHQ-2 to 9):
  • The wording has been updated to align with guidance.
  • Specifically, the revisions address confusion surrounding when to continue or stop the interview based on the responses to D0150A and D0150B. The revised instructions now provide clear guidelines on when to end the interview or proceed with the remaining questions.
• M2420 Discharge Disposition:
  • The wording has been updated to align with guidance.
  • Specifically, the changes clarify the definition of “formal assistive services” in the context of M2420. The updated wording emphasizes that “formal assistive services” refer to services provided by another Medicare-certified HHA or an in-home hospice. This clarification eliminates the confusion from the previous version.
• M0102 Date of Physician-ordered Start of Care (Resumption of Care):
  • The skip pattern has been updated as a result of the removal of M0110.
  • This change ensures that the OASIS-E1 assessment proceeds smoothly and logically.

The goal of OASIS E-1 is to:

• Remove items that are no longer relevant for payment or quality measures.
• Provide clearer language to reduce confusion and improve accuracy.
• Add the COVID-19 vaccination status item to align the Home Health Quality Reporting Program’s (HHQRP) measure on COVID-19 vaccination status.

While the removal of items and improved language will make the assessment faster and easier for clinicians to complete, keep in mind that additional time may be needed to investigate and determine the patient’s COVID-19 vaccination status.

Proactive can help with OASIS E-1 education or improving OASIS accuracy. Contact us today!

References: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/oasis-e1-manualfinal12-9-2024.pdf-0

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