Home Health Agencies (HHAs): OASIS Information

CMS OASIS-D related Webinars

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be hosting two webinars to introduce home health providers to changes to the OASIS-D related to the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (QRP) that are scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2019. The two webinars are scheduled for Tuesday, August 28, and Wednesday, September 5, 2018. Registration is required and is limited to 1,500 attendees per event on a first-come, first-serve basis. See the Home Health Quality Reporting Training webpage for details.

WI OASIS Educational Forum

DQA sponsors a quarterly educational venue to assist Wisconsin HHAs to keep current with evolving OASIS information.

Each OASIS Educational Forum will be conducted over the internet utilizing the Adobe Connect Meeting software. Adobe Connect Meeting is web-conferencing software that allows users to connect to live meetings/presentations over the internet.

Next OASIS Educational Forum: Thursday, October 25, 2018,  starting at 1 pm.

• Use this website to join the meeting: https://connect.wisconsin.gov/dhsdqaoasis.
• Select "Enter as a Guest" and enter your agency name and number of attendees participating.

It is highly recommended that you test your computer for ‘connection compatibility’ prior to the day of the Forum by going to https://connect.wisconsin.gov/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

Listed below are the OASIS Educational Forum recordings for the past two year's:

• February 22, 2018

• December 6, 2017

• August 10, 2017

• May 31, 2017

• February 28, 2017

• November 9, 2016

• August 30, 2016

• May 17, 2016

CMS OASIS-C Training Modules

CMS has developed 16 online modules to assist HHA staff to accurately complete OASIS-C assessment questions. These modules include conventions for accuracy, and cover each of the OASIS-C domains. Guidance includes item intent, time points for completion, response-specific instructions, data sources, and resources.

Each module has an accompanying set of PowerPoint slides that should be printed and available to the user prior to beginning each module. The modules are available on the CMS Surveyor Training OASIS website.

CMS YouTube Training Videos

These training videos were developed prior to the OASIS-C Training Modules noted above.

• "Accurately Responding to M1910: Falls Risk Assessment"

• "Accurately Responding to M2250: Plan of Care Synopsis"

• "Accurately Responding to M2400: Intervention Synopsis"

Other Educational Resources

The CMS Introduction to OASIS-C presented at the October, 2009 National Association of Home Care and Hospice's (NAHC) convention (four presentations and slides).

Regulatory Resources

• New HHA Conditions of Participation (includes OASIS Regulations) QSO-18-13-HHA – effective January 13, 2018

• CMS Notice 3-14-14: Changes to HHA state Operations Manual Appendix B and Chapter 2, Certification Process: federal HH regulations including those related to OASIS

• HHA Certification and Compliance: federal compliance regulations, including those related to OASIS

• Conducting the Comprehensive Assessment on Pediatric or Maternity Patients, and Patients Receiving Personal Care Services Only: September, 2004

• Collection of OASIS for Private-pay Patients: December, 2003

• Using OBQM Reports as Part of the HHA Survey Process: March, 2001, includes CMS’s expectations of how HHAs should use the OBQM reports during evaluation of their patient-care programs

• OASIS Requirements for Medicare and/or Medicaid Beneficiaries

• HHA Pre-survey Worksheet for Surveyors

Technical Assistance

Important: Do not include personally identifiable information in emails. If you have a question about an error on a Final Validation Report, please contact Chris Benesh with the Submission ID and the Record Number of the OASIS record with the error. Do not ever attached a copy of a Final Validation Report to an email.

QIES Technical Support Office (QTSO)

The QTSO website provides information and resources for CMS applications/programs including the following OASIS information:

• Minimum System Requirements

• OASIS Submission User's Guide: Including Appendix A – Quick Reference

• CASPER Reporting User's Manual

• HHA Error and Message Description Guide

• OASIS Q&As

• Java Home Assessment Validation and Entry System (jHAVEN) – Software used to encode OASIS items and create submission file

OASIS Correction Policy

OASIS Correction Policy for HHAs – CMS S&C: 15-18-HHA, January 9, 2015

OASIS Assessment Deletion Request

Refer to the OASIS Correction Policy for HHAs (above) for information on when to request a deletion of an OASIS record. Email Chris Benesh to obtain the required CMS form that must be completed to request a removal of a previously submitted and accepted OASIS record.

OASIS Data Specifications

OASIS records submitted to the CMS ASAP System must meet required specifications which are available on the CMS OASIS Data Specifications webpage.

User IDs/Passwords Required

In order to submit OASIS records and/or access CASPER reports, users must have both a CMSNet (Verizon) User ID and a OASIS Individual Login ID to submit OASIS records/and or to access CASPER reports. Both of these IDs and passwords are assigned to an individual and should not be shared. HHAs seeking initial Medicare certification should contact Chris Benesh for information for submitting a test OASIS submission. New HHA users should follow these steps to obtain the required accounts:

Step 1:

Use the CMSNet Online Registration application to request a CMSNet User ID.
The CMSNet ID is needed to access secure CMS sites (e.g., submissions pages/reports) unless an otherwise secure connection has been established.

CMSNet Online Registration Instructions

Step 2:

Use the QIES online User Registration tool to obtain a QIES Submission ID. Once you have registered for a CMSNet User ID, you will receive an email from MDCN.mco@palmettogba.com containing your login information. Using this information you will connect through the CMS Secure Access Service.

Once securely connected, select the 'CMS QIES Systems for Providers' link to access the QIES online 'User Registration' tool. New users must utilize the online 'User Registration' tool to obtain a QIES Submission/OASIS Individual login ID.  There is a separate procces for Corporate/Third-Party accounts.

Additional information is available on the QTSO OASIS Access Information webpage.

OASIS Individual User Login ID Requirement

Each HHA and each of their respective branch locations are allowed two individuals with QIES/OASIS Individual User IDs to submit OASIS assessment information and view CASPER reports. It is the agency's responsibility to revoke access for any users who no longer require access to this data. Revoking the account of a user who no longer requires access permits the agency to request a personal login ID for an additional user.

OASIS Individual Login Passwords

A user selects their own personal login password when they register for an OASIS Individual User ID. The password must meet stringent password rules that are available to view on the password web page. Passwords are set to expire in 60 days. Users must enter a new password when they are prompted to change their password or they may use the QIES User Maintenance application that is available on the OASIS Welcome Page to change their password at any time prior to the 60 day expiration date.

Forgot OASIS Individual Login Password and Inactivated Accounts

If an incorrect OASIS Individual Login password is entered too many times the account will be made inactive. If the user does not log into CASPER reports within 60 days, their account will also be made inactive. Inactive accounts will not be able to submit OASIS assessments.

One indication of an inactive account or an expired password: after attempting to login the following message appears, "Authorization Required," indicating the server can't verify the appropriate access credentials.

To reactivate an OASIS personal account, follow these steps:

1. On the State OASIS Welcome page select the QIES User Maintenance link.
2. Select "Forgot your password or Inactive Account?"
3. Enter your Personal Login ID and answer the three security questions and follow the directions provided.

Providing answers to the security questions were part of the process for registering for an individual OASIS account. Users will have three attempts to correctly answer the security questions, after that, they are locked out and must contact the QIES Help Desk to reset their account, 800-339-9313.

To avoid getting locked out be sure to log into CASPER or the QIES User Maintenance application at least once every 60 days.

Quality Measures: Outcome, Process, and Potentially Avoidable Events

OASIS Quality Improvement Reports – Summary of Changes in CASPER Effective February 5, 2018 (PDF)

• Home Health OASIS Quality Reporting Requirements

• OASIS Quality Measures

• Home Health Quality Improvement (HHQI) National Campaign: free resources for HHAs to conduct HHQI activities

• Home Health Star Ratings information from CMS HHA Quality Initiative website

• Home Health Compare Update Calendar

• Home Health Compare: national website for consumers to compare Quality Measures between HHAs

• CMS PBQI (YouTube) Video

• State-by-state Comparison of OASIS Quality Measures

• MetaStar: WI's Quality Improvement Organization (QIO)

• Archived CMS Quality Information and Manuals: OASIS-C and OASIS-B