NEWS & REFERENCE - SWING BED MDS

The SNF PPS will apply to short-term hospitals, long-term hospitals, and rehabilitation hospitals certified as swing-bed hospitals. Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) with swing beds are exempt from the SNF PPS and CAHs with swing beds no longer have to file MDS forms.

The MDS for Swing-Bed Hospitals is a 2-page form, rather than the 6-page MDS used by SNFs. The 2-page form uses a subset of MDS information and includes only items needed for payment and ongoing analysis of the SNF PPS.

• Payment for swing beds will be calculated using the same RUG-III system as used by SNFs.

• Each MDS record must be encoded and electronically transmitted.

• Swing-Bed MDS records will be submitted directly to the national database (not state databases).

• Swing-bed providers must complete the MDS assessment within 14 days of the Assessment Reference Date. An assessment submitted 14 days after completion is considered timely.

• In certain situations grace days for the 5-day can be used, extending the 5-day assessment reference date 1 to 3 days.

• Swing-bed services reimbursed under the SNF PPS will be paid at the full Federal PPS rate (no transition period).

• All swing-bed hospitals are classified as rural providers, and will be paid at the rural rate for their geographic locations.

• CMS does not require swing-bed facilities to perform the care planning and resident assessment protocols (RAPs) included in the full SNF MDS at this time.

• Discharge and reentry tracking forms (using the Swing Bed MDS form) must be completed for beneficiaries in swing beds.

• The Swing Bed MDS does not have to be completed once the patient is no longer eligible for Part A SNF-level services.

• CMS has developed swing-bed MDS software.

• CMS has committed to providing an extensive provider training and support program.