CMS Announces OASIS-E2 Changes Effective April 1
Article by Michael Tidd, COS-C, HCS-D
Beginning April 1, 2026, CMS will implement updates to the OASIS assessment as part of the OASIS-E2 revisions. While the changes are relatively small, they affect multiple assessment types and require agencies to ensure their clinicians and staff are aware of the updates before implementation.
The revisions primarily involve data element replacements, additional assessment questions, and updated skip pattern references. Fortunately, most of these changes are technical adjustments rather than major workflow disruptions, meaning extensive clinician retraining should not be necessary.
However, as with any OASIS revision, accuracy and awareness remain critical to maintaining documentation integrity and avoiding downstream reimbursement or compliance risks.
The updates impact the following assessment types:
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Start of Care (SOC)
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Resumption of Care (ROC)
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Transfer
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Death at Home
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Discharge (DC)
Below is a breakdown of the key changes agencies should prepare for.
Start of Care (SOC)
One demographic data element will be updated.
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M0069 – Gender will be removed and replaced with A0810 – Sex.
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The response options remain Male and Female.
Although the field name has changed, the actual data collected remains consistent.
Start of Care & Resumption of Care (SOC / ROC)
CMS is updating the transportation access question.
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A1250 will be removed and replaced with A1255.
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Previous response options from A1250 have been consolidated into a single “Yes” option under the new question.
Additionally:
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M0102 skip-pattern references will be updated to reference A1255 instead of A1250.
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The question content itself remains unchanged.
Resumption of Care (ROC)
Several assessment items previously collected only during Start of Care will now also be included during Resumption of Care.
These include:
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B0200 – Hearing
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B1000 – Vision
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A1110 – Language
This adjustment improves continuity of patient assessment data when care resumes.
There is also a technical update:
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M1000 skip pattern references will change from B1300 to B0200, with no change to the question content.
Transfer, Death at Home, and Discharge
A few revisions will affect these assessment types:
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O0350 will be removed from the OASIS form.
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Updates will be made to J1900 response options:
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B. Injury (except major) will now read:
“Injury (except major): As described in the OASIS manual.” -
C. Major injury will now read:
“Major injury: As described in the OASIS manual.
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These updates clarify the definitions used when documenting patient injuries.
Agencies should review the OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual (pages 191–195) for full details regarding J1900 revisions.
Discharge (DC)
Another change involves transportation access at discharge.
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A1255 – Transportation will now be added to the Discharge OASIS assessment.
Where to Find the Official Guidance
Resources:
OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual
https://oasisanswers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/final-oasis-e2-manual_04_01_2026_compressed.pdf
OASIS Data Sets
https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/home-health/oasis-data-sets
Disclaimer: This guidance is for administrative purposes only and does not replace official CMS regulations or the OASIS-E2 Manual. Providers are solely responsible for complying with all April 1, 2026, OASIS implementation and submission deadlines. Please verify all requirements directly through official CMS communications, iQIES, or your MAC.
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