Timepoints and Deadlines
Which assessment is due when, who may complete it, the M0090 date that trips people up, and what to do when you miss a window.
Every OASIS deadline is short, and most are counted from something other than the day you found out about it. Get the clock right and the rest is manageable.
The timepoints
| Timepoint | Due | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Start of Care | Within 5 days of the SOC date | RN, or PT/OT/SLP on a therapy-only case |
| Resumption of Care | Within 2 days of return home, or of learning of it | RN or therapist |
| Recertification | Days 56–60 of the current certification period | RN or therapist |
| Other Follow-up | Within 2 days of identifying a major change | RN or therapist |
| Transfer to inpatient | Within 2 days of learning of the transfer | Any qualified clinician |
| Death at home | Within 2 days of learning of the death | Any qualified clinician |
| Discharge | Within 2 days of the discharge visit, or of learning of it | The discharging clinician |
Submission: transmitted within 30 days of the completion date. Your agency sets a shorter internal deadline — know it.
Each of these has a full procedure page in The Visit Types.
The clock starts when you learn of it
Three of these — transfer, death, and resumption — are counted from the date the agency became aware, not from the date the event happened.
That sounds generous and is actually a trap. It means the moment you find out, the clock is running, and it is your job to make sure the office knows the same day. A transfer discovered on Friday and reported on Monday has already burned the window.
It also means a missed visit is never just a missed visit. Follow it up the same day — see Missed Visits and Non-Admits.
Who may complete which
- Start of care on a case with nursing must be done by an RN. An LPN cannot complete any OASIS.
- On a therapy-only case, the evaluating therapist completes the OASIS — see Therapy-Only Cases
- PTAs and COTAs cannot complete OASIS, ever
- If nursing and therapy are both ordered, the RN does the SOC
M0090 — the date that trips people up
M0090 is the date the assessment was completed, not the date of the visit.
If you saw the patient Tuesday and finished gathering the information — including a call to the physician to clarify a medication on Wednesday — M0090 is Wednesday. Every other deadline counts from there.
Getting M0090 wrong is one of the most common correctable errors, and it shifts the submission clock.
Recertification: days 56–60 only
The recert window is the last five days of the certification period. Not earlier because the schedule was convenient, not later because someone was off.
Set yourself a reminder at day 50. A recert completed on day 52 is invalid for the period it certifies — see Recertification.
What counts as a "major change"
An Other Follow-up is required for a major decline or improvement that was not anticipated in the plan of care, and that is not temporary.
| Is a major change | Is not |
|---|---|
| Lost the ability to transfer independently | Tired today |
| New wound requiring a change in the plan | A wound healing as expected |
| New incontinence | A single bad night |
| Marked cognitive decline | Sleepy after a new medication, resolving |
| Regained independent ambulation ahead of plan | Steady progress already in the plan |
If you are unsure, ask QA before the two days run out, not after.
When you miss a window
It happens. What matters is what you do next.
- Tell your Field Supervisor immediately — do not quietly complete it and backdate
- Never backdate M0090 or any other date. This is the point where a missed deadline becomes something much more serious. See Corrections, Addenda, and Late Entries.
- Complete the assessment accurately, with the true dates
- Let QA advise on correction or submission
An honestly late assessment is an administrative problem. A falsified date is fraud, and the difference is entirely in how you handle the next ten minutes.
Before you submit, every time
- M0090 is the date the assessment was completed
- The timepoint is correct for what actually happened
- You are qualified to complete this timepoint
- The OASIS and your visit note describe the same patient — see What Reviewers Look For
- Homebound reasons match the functional scores
- Anything you were unsure of has been asked, not guessed