Refresh on ICD-10-CM diagnosis sequencing, FY 2026 SNF PPS Proposed Rule highlights, and more!
Summer is heating up and so is the latest news from AAPACN! Whether you're soaking up the sun or staying cool indoors, it's the perfect time to catch up on the hot topics shaping post-acute care. Here's a sneak peek at some of the articles AAPACN members receive. From free tools and expert-developed resources to in-depth education and timely insights, membership gives you everything you need to grow your skills and support quality care all year long.
Check out some of the exclusive resources available this month from AAPACN.
Articles
Deep Dive into ICD-10-CM
Diagnosis Sequencing Guidelines
The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code assignment continues to be a bit of an enigma in the long-term care setting. Members regularly ask questions about ICD-10-CM coding in AAPACN’s online communities, as well as in post-education surveys, often confused about how to order the codes. The ICD-10-CM coding guidelines are designed to provide coders with the tools they need to assign correct codes, including considerations for code sequencing, particularly etiology and manifestation codes.
Read this article for coding guidelines relevant to correct sequencing and application to ICD-10codes.
FY 2026 SNF PPS Proposed Rule
Like every proposed rule before it, the Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) and Consolidated Billing Proposed Rule for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 offers the director of nursing services (DNS) a preview of likely upcoming changes that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may make to fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare Part A either effective Oct. 1, 2025, or in future fiscal years. These proposed changes cover multiple areas, including the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP), and the Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing program (SNF VBP).
Read this article for highlights of the proposed rule to help the DNS work with other key members of the interdisciplinary team and facility leadership to ensure that the SNF achieves every financial opportunity to support resident care—and that good clinical care is reflected in quality measures (QMs) across all quality programs.
Podcast
ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Sequencing
In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, discuss the sequencing of ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding.
AAPACN Education: