Resource library
The references we use in the masterclass, in one bookmarkable place: the official CMS handbook, national post-acute care utilization data, and a charting quick reference you can print and keep at the desk.
cms.gov
The official handbook behind every assessment: assessment types and timing, item-by-item coding instructions, the Care Area Assessment process, corrections and the RUG-to-PDPM chapter. Version 1.20.11 is effective October 1, 2026.
data.cms.gov
Medicare post-acute care utilization and payment for skilled nursing facilities, grouped by Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs) for the earlier years and by PDPM case-mix groups from FY 2020 onward. Useful for seeing how your coding lands against facility-level usage.
MDS Masterclass
A one-page printable quick reference: the 8 charting rules, what each MDS section needs in the record with its standard look-back period, charting habits to swap out, and a pre-transmission check.
Worth a bookmark, especially when a manual version or item set is about to change.
The masterclass walks through the RAI Manual section by section, then tests you with 135 questions across 9 modules and a certificate at the end.