This regulation requires Medicaid-certified nursing facilities to coordinate their resident assessment processes with the Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review (PASARR) program, incorporating PASARR Level II findings into assessments, care plans, and transitions of care. Facilities must refer any resident with newly evident or possible serious mental disorder, intellectual disability, or related condition for a Level II resident review when a significant change in status occurs. The facility must also arrange for or facilitate specialized services identified in the PASARR Level II report, whether provided on-site or through off-site visits.
View official sourceF644 (Rev. 173, Issued: 11-22-17, Effective: 11-28-17, Implementation: 11-28-17) §483.20(e) Coordination. A facility must coordinate assessments with the pre-admission screening and resident review (PASARR) program under Medicaid in subpart C of this part to the maximum extent practicable to avoid duplicative testing and effort. Coordination includes: §483.20(e)(1)Incorporating the recommendations from the PASARR level II determination and the PASARR evaluation report into a resident’s assessment, care planning, and transitions of care. §483.20(e)(2) Referring all level II residents and all residents with newly evident or possible serious mental disorder, intellectual disability, or a related condition for level II resident review upon a significant change in status assessment. INTENT §483.20(e) To ensure that the facility coordinates with the appropriate, State-designated authority, to ensure that individuals with a mental disorder, intellectual disability or a related condition receives care and services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. DEFINITIONS §483.20(e) “Intellectual Disability (ID)” is defined in 42 CFR §483.102(b)(3), as follows: An individual is considered to have intellectual disability (ID) if he or she has— (i) A level of retardation (mild, moderate, severe or profound) described in the American Association on Intellectual’s Disability Manual on Classification in Intellectual Disability (1983);or (ii) A related condition as defined by §435.1010 of this chapter. “Mental Disorder (MD)” For purposes of this section, the term “mental disorder” is the equivalent of “mental illness” used in the definition of serious mental illness in 42 CFR §483.102(b)(1), which states: An individual is considered to have a serious mental illness (MI) if the individual meets the following requirements on diagnosis, level of impairment and duration of illness: (i) Diagnosis. The individual has a major mental disorder diagnosable under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition, revised in 1987. This mental disorder is— (A) A schizophrenic, mood, paranoid, panic or other severe anxiety disorder; somatoform disorder; personality disorder; other psychotic disorder; or another mental disorder that may lead to a chronic disability; but (B) Not a primary diagnosis of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder, or a non-primary diagnosis of dementia unless the primary diagnosis is a major mental disorder as defined in paragraph (b)(1)(i)(A) of this section. (ii) Level of impairment. The disorder results in functional limitations in major life activities within the past 3 to 6 months that would be appropriate for the individual’s developmental stage. An individual typically has at least one of the following characteristics on a continuing or intermittent basis: (A) Interpersonal functioning. The individual has serious difficulty interacting appropriately and communicating effectively with other persons, has a possible history of altercations, evictions, firing, fear of strangers, avoidance of interpersonal relationships and social isolation; (B) Concentration, persistence, and pace. The individual has serious difficulty in sustaining focused attention for a long enough period to permit the completion of tasks commonly found in work settings or in work-like structured activities occurring in school or home settings, manifests difficulties in concentration, inability to complete simple tasks within an established time period, makes frequent errors, or requires assistance in the completion of these tasks; and (C) Adaptation to change. The individual has serious difficulty in adapting to typical changes in circumstances associated with work, school, family, or social interaction, manifests agitation, exacerbated signs and symptoms associated with the illness, or withdrawal from the situation, or requires intervention by the mental health or judicial system. (iii) Recent treatment. The treatment history indicates that the individual has experienced at least one of the following: (A) Psychiatric treatment more intensive than outpatient care more than once in the past 2 years (e.g., partial hospitalization or inpatient hospitalization); or (B) Within the last 2 years, due to the mental disorder, experienced an episode of significant disruption to the normal living situation, for which supportive services were required to maintain functioning at home, or in a residential treatment environment, or which resulted in intervention by housing or law enforcement officials. “Persons with Related Conditions” is defined in 42 CFR §435.1010 as follows: Persons with related conditions means individuals who have a severe, chronic disability that meets all of the following conditions: (a) It is attributable to— (1) Cerebral palsy or epilepsy; or (2) Any other condition, other than a mental illness, found to be closely related to Intellectual Disability because this condition results in impairment of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior similar to that of mentally retarded persons, and requires treatment or services similar to those required for these persons. (b) It is manifested before the person reaches age 22. (c) It is likely to continue indefinitely. (d) It results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity: (1) Self-care. (2) Understanding and use of language. (3) Learning. (4) Mobility. (5) Self-direction. (6) Capacity for independent living. “Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASARR)” is a federal requirement to help ensure that individuals who have a mental disorder or intellectual disabilities are not inappropriately placed in nursing homes for long term care. PASARR requires that 1) all applicants to a Medicaid-certified nursing facility be evaluated for a serious mental disorder and/or intellectual disability; 2) be offered the most appropriate setting for their needs (in the community, a nursing facility, or acute care setting); and 3) receive the services they need in those settings. Regulations governing PASARR are found at 42 CFR §483.100-§483.138. “Specialized Services for MD or ID” means the services specified by the State that exceed the services ordinarily provided by the nursing facility (NF) under its per diem rate. These services must be provided or arranged by the state and could include hiring additional staff or contractors such as qualified mental health/intellectual disability professionals. When specialized services are combined with services provided by the nursing facility, the result is a continuous and aggressive implementation of an individualized plan of care for individuals with MD or ID. The resident’s Level II PASARR identifies the specialized services required by the resident. GUIDANCE §483.20(e) With respect to the responsibilities under the Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review (PASARR) program, the State is responsible for conducting the screens, preparing the PASARR report, and providing or arranging the specialized services that are needed as a result of conducting the screens. The State is required to provide a copy of the PASARR report to the facility. This report must list the specialized services that the individual requires and that are the responsibility of the State to provide. All other needed services are the responsibility of the facility to provide. The PASARR process requires that all applicants to Medicaid-certified nursing facilities be screened for possible serious mental disorders or intellectual disabilities and related conditions. This initial pre-screening is referred to as PASARR Level I, and is completed prior to admission to a nursing facility. A negative Level I screen permits admission to proceed and ends the PASARR process unless a possible serious mental disorder or intellectual disability arises later. A positive Level 1 screen necessitates an in-depth evaluation of the individual by the state-designated authority, known as PASARR Level II, which must be conducted prior to admission to a nursing facility. PASARR Level II is a comprehensive evaluation by the appropriate state-designated authority and determines whether the individual has MD, ID or a related condition, determines the appropriate setting for the individual and recommends what, if any, specialized services and/or rehabilitative services the individual needs. The Level II evaluation report must be used by the facility when conducting assessments of the resident, developing the care plan, and when transitions of care occur. Incorporating the Level II information in these processes promotes comprehensive assessment and provision of care for residents with MD or ID. The State must provide or arrange for the provision of specialized services to all NF residents with MD or ID in accordance with §483.120, whose needs are such that continuous supervision, treatment and training by qualified mental health or intellectual disability personnel is necessary, as identified in the resident’s PASARR Level II. Specialized services provided or arranged by the State may be provided in the NF or through off-site visits arranged by the NF, while the resident lives in the facility. The facility must notify the state-designated mental health or intellectual disability authority promptly when a resident with MD or ID experiences a significant change in mental or physical status. For additional information regarding resident referral after a significant change in status, see requirements at §483.20(k)(4), F646, MD/ID significant change notification. Any resident with newly evident or possible serious mental disorder, ID or a related condition must be referred, by the facility to the appropriate state-designated mental health or intellectual disability authority for review. Examples of individuals who may not have previously been identified by PASARR to have MD, ID or a related condition include: NOTE: this is not an exhaustive list. (RAI Manual 2-29) • A resident who exhibits behavioral, psychiatric, or mood related symptoms suggesting the presence of a mental disorder (where dementia is not the primary diagnosis). • A resident whose intellectual disability or related condition was not previously identified and evaluated through PASARR. • A resident transferred, admitted, or readmitted to a NF following an inpatient psychiatric stay or equally intensive treatment. PROBES §483.20(e) • For residents with a Level II determination and recommendations, has the facility incorporated the determination and recommendations into the resident’s assessment and care plan? • How does the facility identify residents with newly evident or possible serious mental disorder, ID or a related condition? • If a resident was identified with newly evident or possible serious MD, ID or a related condition, did the facility refer the resident to the appropriate state-designated authority for review? • Is there evidence that the facility provides the next care setting with the resident’s PASARR Level II recommendations when a resident with MD or ID transitions to another care setting? • Has the facility arranged for the resident to receive specialized services through off-site visits, if appropriate, to meet the resident’s needs as identified in the resident’s PASARR Level II recommendations?