OASIS-C2 2018 Guidance Manual Available

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated the OASIS-C2 Guidance Manual, making it effective Jan. 1, 2018 for Certified Home Health Agencies (CHHAs) and Long Term Home Health Care Programs (LTHHCPs). The manual changes largely focus on the One Clinician Rule and were developed based on feedback from home health stakeholders, and to better align with assessment practices in other post-acute care settings.

While one clinician must take responsibility for accurate completion of the comprehensive assessment, collaboration with the patient, caregiver, physician, or other health care personnel will be permitted effective Jan. 1, 2018. The assessing clinician is responsible for considering available input from these sources and selecting the appropriate responses consistent with CMS data collection guidelines. For items requiring patient assessment, providers must have direct contact with the patient. Further, when collaborating, professionals and staff must establish policies to ensure appropriate assessment and documentation. Agencies may continue to limit the OASIS to only data directly assessed and collected by the single assessing clinician if they wish.

Click here for the OASIS Guidance Manual, CMS’ August 2017 Question and Answer, OASIS Data Sets, and additional documents. To access the Department of Health's (DOH) Dear Administrator Letter regarding the OASIS Guidance Manual, click here.

Contact: Meg Carr Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871