Every resident of a Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home, and swing-bed patients, is assessed with the MDS 3.0. The interdisciplinary team uses it to build the care plan, and the data drive skilled nursing facility payment under PDPM and nursing home quality measures. Item sets cover comprehensive, quarterly, PPS and discharge assessments.
The nursing home's interdisciplinary team completes sections A to Z. Staff who complete portions sign in Z0400, and the RN assessment coordinator signs in Z0500. There is no resident section to fill in.
Download the current version from the source each time; forms change without notice.
Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument Item Sets
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) takes this form through its online services or your EMR, so there is no PDF to fill. Vero Scribe writes the visit note it draws on, so the details are ready when you complete it.
A form is listed only after its name and number were confirmed on the issuing agency’s or insurer’s own website, or in the form itself. Each entry links to that source. The list was last checked in October 2026. Forms and their requirements change without notice, so check the official page for the current version before you complete one.
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The final item sets are v1.20.1v4, effective October 1, 2025, posted as a ZIP on the CMS RAI manual page. Draft v1.21.1 item sets and item matrix were posted in October 2026 and take effect October 1, 2027.
Each staff member who completes a portion of the assessment signs in item Z0400. The registered nurse assessment coordinator signs in Z0500. The interdisciplinary team completes the sections, and the facility transmits the record to iQIES within 14 days of completion.
The MDS 3.0 RAI User's Manual v1.20.11, effective October 1, 2026, replaces v1.20.1. It clarifies coding rules outside Section S and adds guidance on resident transfers during public health emergencies. Appendix B lists state RAI and automation coordinators.