CMS Research, Statistics, Data & Systems- Minimum Data Sets 2.0 Software Specifications- Data Specifications Version 1.20 July 2002 Release

The only substantive changes with Version 1.20 of the data specifications involve the new Tracking Form and MDS Medicare PPS Assessment Form (MPAF) which will be available for use in July 2002. The form is found in the Downloads section of theis page.  The MPAF will provide facilities with new options concerning the forms used for Medicare PPS assessments. To allow reduction in assessment burden, facilities can choose to complete and submit the shorter MPAF form rather than a full MDS assessment for Medicare PPS assessments.

Use of the MPAF form is completely optional. If a facility continues to submit a full assessment for PPS reasons, the extra MDS items (that are not on the MPAF form) will be ignored and will not be stored in the state database. No errors or warnings will occur because a full assessment is submitted for PPS reasons. If vendor software is not updated before implementation of the MPAF form in July 2002, then no MDS submission problems will result. PPS assessments completed and submitted as full assessments will still be acceptable. However, vendors should update their systems for the MPAF form as soon as possible after MPAF implementation in order to allow facilities to take advantage of the reduced assessment burden available with the shorter MPAF form.

Version 1.20 Files Available for Downloading

There are three download files available with Version 1.20

• The first is a "readme" document which describes the 11 different documents available with Version 1.10.
• The second a compressed ZIP file containing 10 documents. The 10 components of this file are:
  • ch110_20.pdf, a document summarizing the data specifications changes from Version 1.10 to Version 1.20 (7 pages).
  • d_dt120.pdf, the detailed data specifications for the MDS Data Record with Version 1.20 (247 pages).
  • d_sm120.pdf, the abbreviated (summarized) data specifications for the MDS Data Record with Version 1.20 (36 pages).
  • h_dt120.pdf, the detailed data specifications for the MDS Header Record with Version 1.20 (7 pages).
  • h_sm120.pdf, the abbreviated (summarized) data specifications for the MDS Header Record with Version 1.20 (2 pages).
  • t_dt120.pdf, the detailed data specifications for the MDS Trailer Record with Version 1.20 (1 page).
  • t_sm120.pdf, the abbreviated (summarized) data specifications for the MDS Trailer Record with Version 1.20 (1 page).
  • mds_d120.xls, a Microsoft Excel worksheet (97-2000 & 5.0/95 version) with abbreviated Version 1.20 field by field layout information for all fields in the Data Record Layout.
  • mds_h120.xls, a Microsoft Excel worksheet (97-2000 & 5.0/95 version) with abbreviated Version 1.20 field by field layout information for all fields in the Header Record Layout.
  • mds_t120.xls, a Microsoft Excel worksheet (97-2000 & 5.0/95 version) with abbreviated Version 1.20 field by field layout information for all fields in the Trailer Record Layout.
• The third is a compressed ZIP file containing the Microsoft Access database named MDS120.mdb, the database used to generate the detailed and abbreviated data specifications for the Header, Data and Trailer records for Version 1.20.