M1033 – Risk for Hospitalization is an OASIS-E item presented as a checklist of clinical and behavioral risk factors associated with an increased likelihood of hospitalization during the home health episode of care. Clinicians are instructed to review each risk factor and select all responses that apply to the patient.

Why M1033 is Important

M1033 is not just a checklist—it directly impacts clinical risk identification, care planning, and payment under PDGM.

• It contributes to the Functional Impairment Level used in PDGM case-mix adjustment.
• Higher risk indicators can influence case-mix weight and reimbursement levels.
• It also supports Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) by feeding into hospitalization and outcome-related measures.

In short, accurate M1033 responses helps ensure:

• Appropriate reimbursement
• Better risk adjustment
• More accurate quality reporting
• Stronger care planning to prevent avoidable hospitalizations

The Challenge

Clinicians often find M1033 challenging because it requires reviewing multiple look-back periods while pulling information from different sources such as hospital records, prior visits, and patient or caregiver reports. Some items also require clinical judgment, such as changes in mental status or difficulty following instructions. Since SOC and ROC assessments already require thorough documentation, this adds another layer of complexity to the process.

Here’s a quick review and guide to each M1033 item and how to determine whether each one applies:

Response 1: History of Falls

(2 or more falls — or any fall with injury — within the past 12 months)

Effective January 1, 2026, a fall is defined as an unintentional change in position resulting in the patient coming to rest on the ground, floor, or a lower surface such as a bed, chair, or bedside mat.

Falls may be:

• Witnessed
• Reported by the patient or another person
• Identified when the patient is found on the floor or ground

Key updates:

• Intercepted falls are considered falls
• Falls caused by an overwhelming external force are also counted

During therapeutic or balance-training activities:

• If a major injury occurs from a fall or intercepted fall, it is counted for M1033
• If no major injury occurs during the intervention, it is not counted for Response 1

Response 2: Unintentional Weight Loss

(10 pounds or more within the past 12 months)

Focus on unintentional weight loss, even if the patient is unaware of the change. Information may come from:

• Patient report
• Family or caregiver report
• Physician documentation
• Clinical records

Response 3: Multiple Hospitalizations

(2 or more hospitalizations within the past 6 months)

Hospitalization refers to admission to an inpatient acute care bed for 24 hours or more, excluding admissions for diagnostic testing only.

Do not include:

• Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals or rehab units
• Inpatient psychiatric hospitals
• Long-term care hospitals (LTCHs)

Response 4: Multiple Emergency Department Visits

(2 or more ED visits within the past 6 months)

Count only visits to a hospital emergency department during the 6-month look-back period.

Do not include:

• Urgent care visits
• Walk-in clinics

Response 5: Decline in Mental, Emotional, or Behavioral Status

(Within the past 3 months)

Select this response when the patient has experienced a significant mental, emotional, or behavioral decline that may affect their ability to remain safely at home or increase hospitalization risk.

The decline may be:

• Temporary or permanent
• Reported by the patient, caregiver, or physician
• Observed by the clinician

Note: Physician consultation may or may not have occurred.

Response 6: Difficulty Following Medical Instructions

(Within the past 3 months)

Select this response when there is reported or observed difficulty following medical instructions such as medications, diet, exercise, or treatment plans.

Examples include:

• Medication noncompliance
• Missed appointments
• Failure to follow dietary or therapy recommendations
• Failure to follow treatment instructions

Response 7: Currently Taking 5 or More Medications

Include all medications and medically necessary substances currently being taken, including:

• Prescription medications
• Over-the-counter (OTC) medications
• Vitamins and supplements
• Herbal or homeopathic products
• Medications given by any route (oral, topical, inhaled, injectable, etc.)
• Total parenteral nutrition (TPN)
• Oxygen therapy

Response 8: Currently Reports Exhaustion

Exhaustion may be physical or mental and should be based on the patient’s self-report or expressed experience.

Response 9: Other Risks Not Listed in Responses 1–8

Select this response when other clinically significant factors may increase hospitalization risk but are not specifically included in Responses 1–8.

Examples may include:

• Terminal illness
• Unsafe living conditions
• Poor caregiver support
• Decreased strength, balance, or sit-to-stand ability
• Other clinically relevant safety concerns

Final Takeaway

M1033 is a high-impact OASIS item that connects clinical assessment with PDGM reimbursement and hospitalization risk identification. While it can be challenging due to multiple considerations and clinical judgment requirements, clinicians’ strong understanding of the guidelines—supported by thorough QA review—helps ensure accurate documentation.

Ultimately, accurate M1033 responses support one of home health’s primary goals: preventing avoidable hospitalizations while ensuring appropriate care planning and resource allocation.

The post M1033 Quick Guide for Clinicians first appeared on Qavalo.

Home health visit notes are more than a regulatory requirement—they are the clinical record that connects patient condition, skilled interventions, and ongoing need for services. They support continuity of care across disciplines, justify medical necessity, and directly impact reimbursement and audit outcomes.

For many experienced clinicians, the challenge is not understanding what should be documented, but consistently capturing the right level of detail during busy schedules, multiple visits, and fast-changing patient conditions. As a result, notes can sometimes become too brief, overly templated, or missing key clinical context.

This article focuses on practical, experience-based tips to help strengthen visit note documentation without adding unnecessary charting burden.

A Quick Mental Checklist

One of the easiest ways to strengthen documentation is to review your note as if you were an outside auditor seeing the patient for the first time. Ask yourself:

• Would another clinician understand exactly what happened during this visit?
• Does the note justify why skilled care was needed today?
• Does the patient’s condition match the interventions provided?

This mindset alone often catches vague statements and missing clinical details before submission.

Document Functional Impact — Not Just Symptoms

Many clinicians document findings but forget to explain how those findings affect function. For instance, instead of: “Patient reports SOB” you can add “Patient experienced SOB after ambulating 15 feet requiring rest break and breathing technique reinforcement.”

The functional impact is often what strengthens medical necessity.

Use “Change From Baseline” Language

Stable patients are harder to document because visits can start sounding repetitive. One helpful technique is to compare the patient’s current status against their baseline or previous visit.

Examples:

• Increased BLE edema compared to previous visit.”
• “Improved transfer ability with less caregiver assistance required.”
• “No new skin breakdown noted since last assessment.”

This helps show ongoing skilled assessment and clinical monitoring.

Don’t Let Templates Write the Entire Story

Templates improve efficiency, but overreliance on them can weaken documentation quality. Many denials and audit findings happen because notes feel cloned or disconnected from the actual patient encounter.

A good habit is to customize at least:

• Patient response,
• Education provided,
• Clinical observations,
• Progression or decline,
• and skilled interventions performed.

Even a few personalized details can significantly strengthen a note.

Document What Triggered Your Clinical Decisions

Experienced clinicians make dozens of judgment calls during a visit, but many of those decisions never make it into the note. Instead of simply documenting the intervention, include “why” it was necessary.

For example:

• “Medication education reinforced due to patient confusion regarding insulin timing.”
• “Physician notified of elevated BP and increased dizziness reported during visit.”
• “Wound measurements obtained due to noted increase in drainage.”

This highlights skilled nursing judgment rather than task completion alone.

Capture Patient Compliance and Barriers

Noncompliance, caregiver limitations, cognitive issues, environmental risks, and missed medications are often major drivers of poor outcomes — but they are sometimes underdocumented.

Strong notes include barriers such as:

• Forgetfulness,
• Refusal of education,
• Poor medication adherence,
• Unsafe home setup,
• Limited caregiver support,
• or fatigue limiting participation.

These details help explain slower progress and continued skilled need.

Use Objective Data Whenever Possible

Objective documentation carries more weight than general statements. Specificity improves both defensibility and care continuity.

For example:

• Instead of “Wound improving”, use “Wound drainage decreased from moderate to scant with reduction in periwound redness.”
• Instead of “Mobility better”, use: “Patient ambulated 40 feet with walker and CGA compared to 20 feet last visit.”

Review High-Risk Areas Before Signing

Many experienced clinicians develop a quick mental checklist before submitting notes. A 30-second review can prevent avoidable corrections later. Common areas worth double-checking include:

• Medication changes,
• Wound measurements,
• Visit frequencies,
• Pain documentation,
• Physician notifications,
• Homebound status support,
• and patient response to teaching.

Complete and accurate visit note documentation is not just about compliance — it is about telling the patient’s clinical story clearly and defensibly. Small documentation habits, especially around specificity, clinical reasoning, and functional impact, can make notes significantly stronger without making charting dramatically longer.

The post Writing Better Home Health Visit Notes first appeared on Qavalo.

OASIS documentation isn’t just paperwork—it directly impacts reimbursement, compliance, and patient care. When it is delayed or inefficient, it creates a ripple effect across key processes: care plans are held up, coding and QA are pushed back, and billing cannot move forward. In contrast, a timely and efficient OASIS workflow keeps both clinical and operational processes aligned and running smoothly, while easing pressure on the entire team.

When OASIS is submitted on time, coding and QA can begin immediately, leading to the timely development of the Plan of Care—which is required before claims can be submitted. Delays at this stage don’t just affect operations; they can also slow down care delivery and disrupt the agency’s revenue cycle.

Here are some practical tips on how you can  speed up your OASIS documentation:

At the Clinician Level

1. Document During the Visit

Whenever possible, answer OASIS items in real time while assessing the patient. Waiting until later increases documentation time because you’ll need to recall details and re-analyze the visit. Focus on completing functional items (GGs, M-items tied to observation) while the patient is still in front of you.

2. Use a Consistent Assessment Flow

Jumping back and forth between sections slows you down and increases errors. Follow the same mental sequence every time (e.g., safety → function → wounds → meds). It builds a pattern over time, reducing decision fatigue and improving speed.

3. Pre-Review Referral Documents Before the Visit

Spend 5–10 minutes reviewing hospital notes, diagnoses, and medication lists before stepping into the home. You avoid stopping mid-assessment to clarify basics and can focus on validating information rather than discovering it.

4. Standardize Your Narrative Language

Instead of rewriting similar notes from scratch, build a set of commonly used phrases for frequent scenarios (e.g., mobility limitations, caregiver availability, homebound status). Keep wording compliant but structured—this reduces documentation time without sacrificing quality.

At the Agency Level

1. Standardize Documentation Templates and Language

Provide clinicians with approved structured templates and phrase libraries for narratives (e.g., homebound status, caregiver support, functional limitations). This reduces time spent thinking about wording and ensures consistency across clinicians and QA.

2. Use Pre-Set Responses for Common Diagnoses in OASIS

Develop a library of standardized, diagnosis-based reference responses for common conditions (e.g., CHF, COPD, diabetes, post-stroke) aligned with OASIS requirements.

Clinicians can quickly use these as a baseline for expected findings and then adjust based on the patient’s actual presentation. This improves speed, consistency, and accuracy while still allowing individualized documentation.

3. Provide a Standardized Compact Assessment Tool for Visits

Create a concise, structured assessment form clinicians can use during visits to quickly capture key OASIS-related data (e.g., functional status, wounds, meds, homebound status, safety risks). Keep it aligned with OASIS flow but simplified—not a duplicate of the full assessment.

Instead of relying on memory or navigating the EMR during the visit, clinicians have a clear reference of findings. This makes it significantly faster to complete OASIS documentation after the visit.

4. Use Dedicated Support Roles

Consider adding documentation assistants or scribes. QA staff can also help identify and resolve documentation gaps based on the patient’s condition and assessment findings before final submission.

This reduces QA returns and minimizes back-and-forth corrections with clinicians. This allows clinicians to focus more on assessment and clinical decision-making, and less on administrative rework.

Other more advanced tip:

Implement Pre-Visit Prep Support

Have intake or office staff preload key information (demographics, medications, referral diagnoses) before the visit. This way, clinicians can focus on validation and assessment instead of gathering baseline data during the visit.

Speeding up OASIS documentation isn’t about rushing—it’s about working smarter, standardizing processes, and removing unnecessary friction. When clinicians and agencies build efficient systems and prioritize timely completion, OASIS becomes less of a burden and more of a streamlined part of delivering quality patient care.

The post Practical Tips for Faster OASIS Documentation first appeared on Qavalo.

In preparation for the April 1, 2026 implementation of OASIS-E2, CMS has released the final set of materials to support agencies during the transition. Below is a brief overview of what each resource includes.

Home health agencies are encouraged to review these documents carefully, as several updates were made after the draft versions. Beginning preparation now is important, since changes to data items and guidance may impact workflow, documentation, and reporting. Early review and planning can help ensure a smoother transition.

• OASIS-E2 Instrument
  The final All-Item version and all time-point versions of OASIS-E2 are now posted on the HHQRP OASIS Data Sets webpage.
  
  Key updates from the draft versions include:
  • Revised descriptions for the Fall Injury items (J1900B and J1900C)
  • Addition of item A1110 (Language) at the Resumption of Care time point
• OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual
  The final OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual is now available in the download section of the HHQRP OASIS User’s Manual webpage.
  
  It includes a 50-page appendix that clearly outlines what changed from OASIS-E1 to OASIS-E2.

• CMS OASIS Q&As
  CMS also posted the updated February 2026 OASIS Q&As on the QTSO website to provide additional guidance for agencies on implementing the new OASIS-E2.

Read our blog with an overview of key OASIS-E2 updates: Getting Ready for OASIS-E2 Rollout on April 1>

Quick Links:

• Final OASIS-E2 Instruments (ZIP)
• Final OASIS E2 Change Table (PDF)
• OASIS-E2 All Item Data Set
• Final OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual

The post CMS Released Final OASIS-E2 Resources first appeared on Qavalo.

The implementation of OASIS-E2 is just ahead, scheduled for April 1, 2026. Home health agencies should start preparing now, as the changes to data items and guidance can impact workflow, documentation, and reporting. Staying informed about the updates is important for a smooth transition.

Here are some of the main item changes in OASIS-E2. Along with data set changes, there are associated guidance changes that agencies need to understand:

• Gender/Sex
  • Item Change: M0069 (Gender) → A0810 (Sex)
  • Guidance Update: Previous instructions referencing “If the patient does not self-identify” have been removed.
• Transportation
  • Item Change: A1250 (Transportation) → A1255 (Transportation)
  • Collection and Coding Updates:
    • No longer “check all that apply”
    • No longer collected at discharge (DC)
    • Updated instructions, coding tips, and examples provided
• Patient Communication & Sensory Items
  • Collection Update: These items will now also be collected at Resumption of Care (ROC).
  • Items Affected: A1110 (Language), B0200 (Hearing), B1000 (Vision)
• Falls Since SOC/ROC
  Item: J1900 (Number of Falls Since SOC/ROC)
  • Updates:
    • Revised item descriptions
    • Guidance changes from October 2025 Quarterly OASIS Q&As and January 2026 OASIS-E1 Guidance Manual Errata
    • Impacts the Respecified Falls with Major Injury quality measure
• Retired Item: O0350 (Patient’s COVID-19 Vaccination is Up to Date)

Changes to item names or collection points, though seem minor, may affect how agencies record and report patient information. This is only a brief overview of the revisions from OASIS-E1 to OASIS-E2. More detailed descriptions and guidance can be found in the change table in Appendix D of the OASIS-E2 Draft Guidance Manual.

Preparing for OASIS-E2: What Agencies Should Focus On

Although CMS describes these updates as “minor,” the change table is over 40 pages long and can affect daily workflows. Agencies should dedicate time to review all updated items and guidance carefully for an effective implementation.

QA plays a crucial role in the OASIS-E2 transition, so it is important for QA staff to review and understand the changes in advance. This allows them to ensure that new items are functioning as intended and that data is recorded accurately according to the updated definitions and guidance. QA staff who understand the updates can also support clinicians as they adapt to new workflows, making it easier for teams to learn and apply the changes correctly. Taking this proactive approach can help maintain data quality and make the overall transition smoother for all staff.

OASIS-E2 Resources

Since last year, CMS has released several resources to help agencies prepare for OASIS-E2. Agencies should actively review these documents, which provide the updated items, guidance, and instructions needed to navigate the transition:

• Final OASIS-E2 Instruments (ZIP)
• Final OASIS E2 Change Table (PDF)
• OASIS-E2 All Item Data Set
• Final OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual

The post Getting Ready for OASIS-E2 Rollout on April 1 first appeared on Qavalo.

The April 1 ICD-10 update includes important changes to coding instructions, such as updates to ‘Excludes’ notes and ‘code also’ guidance in 13 chapters. While these updates do not introduce any new, deleted, or revised diagnosis codes, they can still affect code selection and sequencing.

It is important for home health coders to be aware of these updates and to ensure that all coding systems are updated accordingly. Even small note changes can impact compliance and reporting accuracy. 

Changes to “Excludes” Notes

A significant number of updates convert “Excludes 1” notes to “Excludes 2” notes.

As a reminder, Excludes 1 means the two conditions cannot be reported together. Excludes 2 means the excluded condition is not part of the listed code, but both codes may be reported together when appropriate.

• Example:
  • Neoplasms of uncertain behavior (D37–D44, D48) will change from an Excludes 1 relationship to an Excludes 2 relationship with D49 (Neoplasm of unspecified behavior).
    
    This adjustment allows both codes to be reported together if supported by documentation.

Additional “Code Also” and Instructional Note Updates

Several other instructional notes, including “code also” and sequencing instructions, have been revised. These changes cover a variety of conditions, including:

• Coding sequela of concussion (S06.0X- with appropriate 7th character) with F07.81 (Postconcussional syndrome), when applicable.
  
• Coding underlying conditions such as diabetes mellitus (E08.39, E09.39, E10.39, E11.39, E13.39) with H40.84 (Neovascular secondary angle closure glaucoma). The instruction to code diabetes first has now been revised to a “code also” note.

The April 1 update may look minor at first glance, but revisions to Excludes notes and sequencing instructions can significantly impact code assignment. Taking time to review the addendum now will help prevent errors and ensure compliant reporting moving forward.

The post ICD-10 Update Effective April 1: What You Need to Know first appeared on Qavalo.

The Medicare telehealth flexibilities that allowed home health face-to-face (F2F) encounters to be conducted via telehealth have expired as of January 30, 2026. These flexibilities had been extended several times, with the most recent extension issued in November 2025, which extended the rules through January 30, 2026. With the expiration, agencies must now follow the standard Medicare rules, which generally require in-person F2F visits.

The good news is that The U.S. House of Representatives passed a consolidated appropriations bill (H.R. 7148) on January 22, 2026, which includes provisions to extend Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027.

However, the bill has not yet passed the Senate or been signed into law, so it is uncertain when or if the extension will officially take effect.

What this means for HHAs

• Potential Retroactive Coverage
  If H.R. 7148 becomes law, it might retroactively apply telehealth flexibilities back to January 30, 2026, but this is not guaranteed. Agencies should not assume retroactive coverage yet.
• F2F encounters return to pre-pandemic rules
  With the expiration of telehealth flexibilities on January 30, F2F encounters must be conducted in person to qualify for home health admission under current Medicare rules.
  
  Unless H.R. 7148 is enacted and applied retroactively, telehealth F2F encounters documented after January 30 may be considered invalid, and claims based on them could be denied or not affirmed. To minimize risk, agencies are advised to conduct all F2F encounters in person whenever possible.

With the expiration of telehealth flexibilities, in-person F2F encounters remain the safest option unless Congress or CMS issues new guidance. The best approach is to communicate proactively with practitioners and patients, flag potential risks, and watch closely for updates that could affect billing and compliance. While a retroactive extension remains possible, agencies should not assume they will happen — planning ahead now is the safest course of action.

The post Urgent Update: Telehealth Flexibilities Expired January 30, 2026 – Possible Extension Pending first appeared on Qavalo.

In the CY 2026 Home Health Final Rule, CMS updated how functional impairment levels are calculated under PDGM. Each home health episode is assigned a functional impairment score based on responses to OASIS Functional items (commonly called M-items), which assess a patient’s ability to perform activities of daily living. These scores directly influence case‑mix and payment rates.

For CY 2026, CMS recalibrated the functional points using recent claims data to better reflect current patient needs and resource use. Responses to the M-items now carry revised point values, outlined in the table below. The sum of these points determines low, medium, or high functional impairment levels, which guide PDGM payment adjustments.

Accurate scoring of the M-items is critical. Over- or underassessment of functional abilities can result in misaligned payments, inadequate resource allocation, and potential compliance risks. Regular clinician education is essential to maintain scoring accuracy. In addition, leverage your QA processes to ensure proper interpretation of patient functional ability and verify that all responses align with clinical documentation. These steps not only protect agency revenue but also support high-quality patient care by ensuring that patient needs are accurately captured and addressed.

The post Reminder: 2026 Updated OASIS M-Item Functional Points first appeared on Qavalo.

In the CY 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment Final Rule, CMS finalized updates to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) that recalibrate how comorbid conditions influence payment adjustments. These updates reflect CMS’s ongoing effort to better align Medicare payments with actual patient care needs using the most recent utilization data.

CMS updated the PDGM comorbidity adjustment subgroups using 2024 home health claims and OASIS data. The changes are intended to more accurately capture real-world resource utilization patterns for patients with multiple conditions.

What Changed in the Comorbidity Adjustment Subgroups

• Low Comorbidity Adjustment Subgroups
  • The number of low comorbidity adjustment subgroups was reduced to 20, down from 22 in CY 2025. The changes include:
    • Added 3 low comorbidity subgroups:
      • Heart 5
      • Musculoskeletal 1
      • Neoplasm 6
    • Removed 5 current low comorbidity subgroups:
      • Circulatory 7
      • Endocrine 3
      • Neoplasm 1
      • Neurological 11
      • Neurological 12
  • This reflects CMS’s refinement of which diagnoses continue to meet the threshold for low comorbidity payment adjustments based on updated utilization patterns.
• High Comorbidity Subgroup Interaction
  • The number of high comorbidity subgroup interactions increased to 98 in CY 2026 (up from 94 in CY 2025). This includes the addition of 44 new interactions eligible for high comorbidity adjustments, while 40 existing interactions were removed.
  • CMS refined and expanded these interactions to include newly identified diagnosis pairings that consistently drive higher resource use.

Why These Changes Matter

Accurate and complete secondary diagnosis coding is essential for capturing all eligible PDGM adjustments. Agencies and coders should ensure that all relevant diagnoses are documented, as missing or incorrect codes can result in lost payment opportunities.

It’s also important to review the CY 2026 comorbidity updates, since changes to the low and high adjustment lists can affect PDGM payments. Checking the updated subgroup tables will help identify which diagnoses trigger low adjustments and which combinations qualify for high comorbidity adjustments.

Part of a Broader PDGM Recalibration

These comorbidity updates are one component of CMS’s broader PDGM recalibration for CY 2026, which also includes changes to:

• Case-mix weights
• Functional impairment levels
• Low-Utilization Payment Adjustment (LUPA) thresholds

Together, these updates aim to improve the accuracy and fairness of Medicare home health payments by better reflecting patient complexity.

Reference Tables Included

For easier reference, the Low Comorbidity Adjustment Subgroups and High Comorbidity Subgroup Interaction tables can be accessed through the links below so you can quickly access them without digging through the full Final Rule document.

• CY 2026 Low Comorbidity Adjustment Subgroups Table >
• CY 2026 High Comorbidity Subgroup Interaction Table >

The post 2026 Updated Comorbidity Subgroups and Interactions first appeared on Qavalo.

As 2026 begins, home health agencies should keep an eye on several updates that could affect payments, documentation, and compliance. We have listed the updates we believe will matter most to agencies and have a direct impact on day-to-day operations. Staying informed will help agencies maintain quality care, optimize reimbursements, and remain compliant with CMS regulations.

Medicare Payment Update

According to the CY 2026 Final Rule, CMS projects a 1.3% decrease in aggregate Medicare payments to home health agencies in 2026—roughly $220 million compared to 2025. It’s important to note that this is an overall projection and does not translate uniformly across all agencies. The actual impact will vary depending on case mix, utilization, and compliance. With tighter margins, optimizing reimbursement through accurate, complete, and defensible documentation remains critical.

Telehealth Flexibility Extension

Current home health telehealth flexibilities are extended through January 30, 2026. While the expiration date is approaching quickly, lawmakers have previously indicated they are working toward a more permanent solution. Agencies should closely monitor developments, especially since many practitioners now rely on telehealth to complete the F2F encounter needed for home health admission.

Face-to-Face (F2F) Encounter Flexibility

The F2F encounter continues to allow flexibility: it may be completed by a qualified practitioner who is not the certifying practitioner, and that practitioner does not need to have treated the patient in a hospital or post-acute setting prior to home health admission. This remains an important operational allowance, especially for agencies working with diverse referral sources.

OASIS-E2 Implementation

OASIS-E2 is scheduled for implementation on April 1, 2026, with the draft OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual released on December 18, 2025. One notable proposed change is the retirement of Item O0350 (Patient’s COVID-19 vaccination is up to date). Agencies should begin reviewing the draft guidance now to identify workflow, training, and QA adjustments needed ahead of implementation.

Beyond these headline updates, agencies should also stay current on changes within the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (QRP) and Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP). Familiarity with measure updates, scoring methodologies, and documentation expectations is key to maintaining compliance, protecting star ratings, and maximizing HHVBP incentives.

As 2026 unfolds, agencies that stay informed and proactive—especially around documentation, OASIS accuracy, and quality performance—will be in a stronger position to adapt to financial and regulatory shifts.

The post Recap of Home Health Updates to Watch for 2026 first appeared on Qavalo.