Home Health Agencies (HHAs) - OASIS Information

This web page provides resources and information pertaining to the Outcome and ASsesment Information Set (OASIS) that is required to be completed by Medicare certified home health agencies for skilled, adult, non-maternity, Medicare and/or Medicaid patients.  This information is grouped under the following categories:

Wisconsin OASIS Contacts

Chris Benesh, OASIS Automation Coordinator - Provides OASIS technical support
608-266-1718

Mary Jo Sutton, OASIS Education Coordinator - Provides OASIS content guidance (interpretation and intended use)
920-448-5239

Any Wisconsin home health agency interested in joining an OASIS email listserv group, contact Mary Jo.

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 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 the email.

General Information

Education

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.

The following informaton was presented during the December 11, 2014, forum:

  1. Introducing OASIS-C1/ICD-9 speaker slides (PDF, 729 KB)
  2. OASIS Submission to ASAP speaker slides (PDF, 983 KB)
  3. OASIS C1 dataset (PDF, 422 KB)

Use this website to join a 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 recordings of previous OASIS Educational Forums:

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 SurveyorTraining OASIS website.

CMS YouTube Training Videos

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

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

Technical

Effective October 1, 2014, CMS will no longer support Internet Explorer version 8.0.  Refer the the CMS System Requirements available on the QTSO website.

Windows XP

  • Effective October 1, 2014, the QIES systems will no longer support Windows XP operating system and Internet Explorer 8 or below.

IE 8 (Internet Explorer)

  • For security purposes, the QIES systems will be programmed to block the browser’'s access if IE 8 or below is used to access the QIES systems.

  • In such situations, users will receive a message to upgrade to a supported version of the browser. Windows XP does not support any higher versions of IE than IE 8.

The  QIES Technical Support Office (QTSO) website includes the following OASIS information:

OASIS Assessment Deletion Request

Refer to the OASIS Correction Policy for HHAs (above) for information on when to submit an OASIS Deletion Request.  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

Effective January 1, 2015, OASIS assessments will be submitted to CMS via the CMS OASIS Assessment Submission and Processing (ASAP) system. The submission format for both OASIS-C and OASIS-C1/ICD-9 assessment data will change from the current fixed-format record layout to Extensible Markup Language (XML).  The CMS OASIS Data Specifications web page includes information for both OASIS-C and OASIS C1/ICD-9. 

The M0090 date for all assessments determines which version of OASIS must be completed.

  • If M0090 Date Assessment Completed is 12/31/14 or before, use the OASIS-C data set.
  • If M0090 Date Assessment Completed is 1/1/15 or later, use the OASIS-C1/ICD-9 data set.

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. 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 (PDF, XX 444)

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 (the only exception is Corporate/Third-Party accounts).

Additional information is available on the QTSO OASIS Access Information web page.

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. Complete the OASIS Individual Account Request to revoke access to a user. This form is available on the QTSO OASIS Access Information web page.

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

Additional CMS Resources

- HH PPS FAQs

- HH Template for Face-to-Face Documentation 

- HH Transmittals

- Health Insurance Prospective Payment System (HIPPS) Codes 

Related Resources

- CAHPS Educational Podcasts: from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 

Last Revised: February 13, 2015