Failure to Timely Transmit Death in Facility MDS Assessment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that an encoded, accurate, and complete Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment was electronically transmitted to the CMS system within 14 days after completion for one resident. Specifically, a death in facility tracking record for a male resident with diagnoses including cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, and hepatomegaly was not transmitted within the required timeframe. The resident expired while in the facility, and although the death tracking record was completed with the appropriate date of death, there was no evidence in the medical record that it had been electronically transmitted as required. The deficiency was identified through interview and record review, which revealed that the MDS Coordinator, who was not employed at the time of the resident's death, was unaware that the death tracking form had not been submitted. The assessment was only submitted after surveyor intervention, and the final validation report confirmed that the record was submitted late, exceeding the 14-day requirement. The administrator confirmed the expectation that MDS assessments be completed and transmitted as scheduled, in accordance with state and federal regulations.