Failure to Timely Transmit Discharge MDS Assessment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the timely transmission of a discharge Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment for one resident. The resident had been admitted with diagnoses including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure (CHF), and was discharged back to his home with Home Health Care. The admission MDS assessment indicated no cognitive deficit and a plan for discharge. The discharge MDS assessment was completed on the date of discharge, but there was no documentation that it had been transmitted to the State within the required timeframe. During the investigation, the Administrator stated that the MDS Coordinator was on a leave of absence and, when contacted, was unsure about the transmission requirements for regular Medicare versus Managed Medicare residents. The facility's policy, based on the CMS RAI Version 3.0 Manual, requires that discharge assessments be transmitted no later than 14 calendar days after completion. The lack of timely transmission for the discharge MDS assessment constituted the deficiency.