Cms Withdraws Incorrect Oasis Guidance For Outpatient Therapy Data Collection, Says Alliance

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) confirmed that completing the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) data collection is not required for outpatient therapy services, and it will retract the previously published guidance, according to the National Alliance for Care at Home (The Alliance). 

CMS issued guidance in its Quarterly OASIS Q&A document in July, requiring home health agencies to collect OASIS data for outpatient therapy services – physical, occupational, and speech-language pathology therapy – provided to clients. This was not a requirement previously and caused widespread concern and confusion, the Alliance said. 

Since these documents are classified as administrative directives, home health providers that have not been collecting this data for outpatient therapy services have essentially been noncompliant.

“The Alliance brought the issue to CMS’ attention and appreciates the agency’s decision to retract its guidance,” an Alliance spokesperson told Home Health Care News. “This marks an important step toward ensuring that OASIS data collection requirements are applied appropriately. The Alliance thanks CMS for its partnership and will continue to work collaboratively with the agency to ensure home health providers can continue to deliver high-quality care.”

To maintain consistency and accuracy, CMS will update the relevant OASIS Q&A item with the corrected guidance. The Alliance said it has informed its members of the correction and will continue monitoring the agency’s updates and keep members informed.

OASIS has historically been challenging for home health providers for a host of issues and can lead to increased staff turnover and lost reimbursement.

“Inadequate OASIS response can lead to poor outcomes and payment in agencies,” J’non Griffin, senior vice president at SimiTree, told HHCN in a June interview. “In addition, turnover in staff and inexperienced field staff leads to an increased burden in the back office, including decreased productivity by [quality assurance] staff who try to ensure an adequate assessment.” 

SimiTree is a technology-enabled consulting platform for post-acute and behavioral health agencies, including services for OASIS.

Payments and outcomes depend heavily on OASIS data collection, so accurate gathering is essential for home health providers. However, many organizations face challenges with OASIS data collection because of its complexity and time-consuming nature.

Therefore, many providers have turned to AI and other techniques to make OASIS easier. 

For instance, Tyler, Texas-based Choice Health at Home leverages Apricot’s AI for start-of-care visits. Apricot generates an AI-drafted OASIS form by using the patient’s referral document, medication lists and other essential information. 

Similarly, First Choice Home Health & Hospice, based in Orem, Utah, decreased the time clinicians devote to the OASIS process by implementing Olli Health. This AI platform handles home health coding and OASIS review. 

Providers point to these tools as a means to enhance clinical quality, maximize the use of clinician time and improve patient satisfaction – all of which can be difficult given the complexity of OASIS.

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