Emergency Blanket Waiver of Minimum Data Set Timeframe Requirements (42 CFR§483.20)

Effective Date: May 10, 2021, the MDS Timeframe Requirements Blanket Waiver will end. Penalties for late assessment completion and late submission will resume on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.

CMS waived the MDS time frame requirements at 42 CFR §483.20 for assessments to allow providers flexibility in completing and transmitting assessments. This action was intended to allow facilities to prioritize infection control efforts in response to the PHE. However, the majority of facilities have been completing and transmitting assessments timely, therefore we believe all providers should be able to complete and transmit MDS assessments as required at 42 CFR §483.20. Also, CMS believes nursing homes should have developed practices for completing these assessments timely, which are critical for resident care planning. As a result, CMS is ending the emergency blanket waiver for 42 CFR §483.20.

This policy should be communicated to all staff who schedule and complete MDS assessments immediately.

For more information on this and other Blanket Waivers that will expire on May 10, 2021 see CMS QSO-21-17-NH