The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rang in the New Year with a flurry of new requirements for home health agencies. The most widely publicized change is undoubtedly the OASIS-C1/ICD-9 implementation, which went into effect on January 1, 2015. CMS also introduced lesser-known requirements in the 2015 HH-PPS Final Rule, which relaxed the therapy exception rules and simplified the physician face-to-face encounter requirements among others.
As part of the OASIS-C1/ICD-9 implementation, CMS modified the OASIS assessment data submission process. Home health agencies will no longer submit OASIS assessment data to their state databases but will instead use the national OASIS Assessment Submission and Processing (ASAP) system. This article will provide an overview of what agencies should expect when submitting OASIS data via the ASAP system.
OASIS File Format
Going forward, individual OASIS data files for both OASIS-C assessments and OASIS-C1/ICD-9 assessments must be in XML format according to version 2.10 (supports OASIS-C) and version 2.11 (supports OASIS-C1/ICD-9) of the OASIS data submission specifications. These individual OASIS XML files must be compressed into a zipped file (.zip extension) for submission to the ASAP system. OASIS data files which do not comply with this data format will be rejected by the ASAP system. Axxess software is fully compliant with the new OASIS data submission format.
The date provided in question M0090 (assessment completed date) determines which OASIS version must be completed. Agencies should use the OASIS-C data set for assessment visits completed on or before December 31, 2014. For assessment visits completed on and after January 1, 2015, agencies should use the OASIS C1/ICD-9 data set. Failure to comply with these instructions will result in OASIS data rejections.
ASAP (CMSNet)
To submit OASIS assessment data to ASAP, agencies will still need to establish a secure connection with CMSNet using their CMSNet User ID and password. On the CMSNet welcome page, users will notice a new OASIS bookmark below the State Database bookmark. This OASIS bookmark links directly to the ASAP system.
Accessing the ASAP system requires a QIES/HHA user ID and Password. If you already have a QIES/HHA user ID, enter your existing credentials when prompted. If you do not have a QIES/HHA User ID, information on how to obtain access is provided at QIES Technical Support Office’s (QTSO’s) website. This User ID/Password will allow access to both the ASAP system (OASIS data submission) and the Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reporting (CASPER) system (retrieving OASIS validation reports).
Within the ASAP system, users will be able to upload OASIS data files (.zip) and check the status of submitted files. ASAP will typically process the uploaded OASIS files within several minutes but CMS warns users it could take as long as 24 hours to complete.
It is important to note that users will obtain final validation reports from the CASPER system. This is a slight departure from the previous process. To access CASPER, users would need to go back to the CMS Welcome page and log into CASPER using their QIES/HHA User ID/password. In CASPER, a shared folder under the Folders tab will contain a list of final validation reports. Users can review the validation reports corresponding to the date and ID of their submitted file.
For more detailed instructions on submitting OASIS via ASAP, Axxess users may access a step-by-step guide within the software.
