CMS Releases New IRF-PAI Guidance
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a new inpatient rehabilitation facility patient assessment instrument (IRF-PAI) guidance document. The document was developed and based on questions submitted by stakeholders to the IRF Post-Acute Care (PAC) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) help desk.
In this guidance, CMS reiterates its prior instruction that it will delay the release of updated versions of the item sets needed to support the Transfer of Health (TOH) Information Quality Measures and new revised Standardized Patient Assessment Data Elements (SPADEs). As indicated in prior guidance, the release of the updated IRF-PAI version will be delayed until October 1st of the year that is at least one full fiscal year after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). An example provided by CMS: if the PHE ends on September 20, 2020, IRFs will be required to begin collecting data using the updated versions of the item sets beginning with patients discharged on October 1, 2021. No new information is provided on CMS’ planned approach for stakeholder education and training.
Included in CMS’ announcement, IRF-PAI questions and answers will be published on a quarterly basis.
