OASIS Manual · For admins & DONs
OASIS Assessment Schedule (SOC, ROC, Recert, Discharge)
When each OASIS assessment is required and how the 60-day cert period anchors the schedule.
CMS source
OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual · Verified 2026-04-26
TL;DR
- OASIS isn't a one-and-done form. There are five timepoints — SOC, ROC, Recert, Transfer, and Discharge — and every one of them has its own clock.
- The 60-day cert period is the spine. SOC anchors day 1; recert lands in days 56–60; everything in between either continues or interrupts that cert.
- Pick the wrong timepoint, and PDGM groups wrong, quality measures break, and iQIES will reject the record. The ten minutes you spend on the schedule before scoring saves three hours of cleanup later.
Timeline
Standard 60-day cert period
Day 0 · RFA 01
Start of Care
OASIS comprehensive assessment must be completed within 5 days after the SOC date.
Day 14 · RFA 03
Resumption of Care window
If the patient returns from a 24+ hour inpatient stay, complete within 2 calendar days.
Day 30 · RFA 06 or 07
Transfer event window
Transfer assessment within 2 calendar days of learning of the transfer.
Day 56 · RFA 04
Recertification window — day 56
Recert OASIS may be completed during the last 5 days of the cert (days 56–60).
Day 60 · RFA 04 or 09
Recert due — day 60
Recert must be completed by day 60 to start the next cert. Otherwise discharge with RFA 09.
Start of Care (SOC)
At the Start of Care (SOC), the comprehensive assessment must be completed by an RN, PT, OT, or SLP within 5 days after the SOC date. The SOC date is the first billable visit date and the date that anchors the 60-day certification period.
Resumption of Care (ROC)
A Resumption of Care (ROC) assessment is required when the patient returns to the agency after a qualifying inpatient stay of 24 hours or longer (other than for diagnostic testing). The ROC must be completed within 2 calendar days of the patient's return home or knowledge of the return.
Recertification
The Recertification (follow-up) assessment is required when the patient continues to be eligible for and receive home health services beyond the current 60-day certification period. It must be completed during the last 5 days of the current cert (days 56 through 60).
Transfer to Inpatient
When a patient is admitted to an inpatient facility for 24 hours or longer (other than for diagnostic testing), the agency must complete a Transfer assessment within 2 calendar days of learning of the transfer. The agency selects RFA 06 if the patient remains on the agency's census or RFA 07 if the agency also discharges the patient.
Discharge from Agency
A Discharge from Agency (RFA 09) assessment is required when the patient is discharged for any reason other than transfer to an inpatient facility or death at home. The assessment must be completed within 2 calendar days of the discharge date.
Common errors
Related
- RFA Codes (01–09) — which RFA code maps to each assessment type
- M0090, Completion Windows, and Transmission Deadlines — the dates that must be met for each assessment