The purpose of Information Letter No. 14-33 is to inform Medicaid-certified nursing facilities (NFs) of an important update to the Long Term Care (LTC) Online Portal and Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR).
The federal PASRR process requires Medicaid-certified NFs to evaluate an individual who may have an intellectual disability (ID), developmental disability (DD), or a mental illness (MI). The PASRR Level I (PL1) Screening Form is designed to identify persons who are suspected of having ID, DD, or MI and must be submitted for preadmission individuals prior to admission into a Medicaid-certified NF. The PASRR Evaluation (PE) is designed to confirm the suspicion of ID, DD, or MI and ensure the individual is placed in the most integrated residential setting receiving the specialized services needed to improve and maintain the individual’s level of functioning. A PE must be completed if documentation entered on the PL1 indicates ID, DD, or MI.
Effective June 27, 2014, the Long Term Care Medicaid Information (LTCMI) will not be accepted on the LTC Online Portal if a PL1 has not been submitted prior to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) LTCMI submission. Medicaid-certified NFs will be able to save the LTCMI as a draft and resubmit it after the PL1 has been submitted. The first MDS assessment for preadmission individuals will inherit medical necessity (MN) determination from the positive PE that is associated with the assessment. The MDS LTCMI will be rejected if the PE is waiting for the MN determination.
If a Medicaid-certified NF is non-compliant by admitting a preadmission individual without a PL1, the NF will need to contact the Local Authority/Local Mental Health Authority (LA/LMHA) to submit the PL1. The LA/LMHA must notify the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) PASRR unit of all contacts made by a Medicaid-certified NF for Preadmission PL1 submissions. Medicaid-certified NFs that continue to contact LA/LMHAs for Preadmission PL1s will be identified and reported to DADS Regulatory Services for possible sanctions.