By Reza Djangi, OTR/L
The Short Version
- An OASIS edit ID is the negative number iQIES prints next to each error or warning on your Final Validation Report, like -3060 or -5371. CMS defines the data edits in the OASIS-E2 Data Submission Specifications. The system errors, -901 to -930, come from CMS's iQIES error message guide.
- Fatal means rejected. CMS's overview says: "Violation of a fatal edit will result in rejection of the submission file." A warning is reported, and the record is still stored.
- Version 3.02.0 of the specifications applies to records with a completion date (M0090) on or after April 1, 2026. iQIES picks the edit set from that date, not from the day you submit.
- Our tally of CMS's V3.02.0 files: 202 current edits (193 fatal, 9 warning), 14 IDs CMS has deleted, and 17 information messages iQIES never issues. CMS's guide adds 18 errors of type "System", -901 to -930 (14 fatal, 4 warning).
- Every edit has a page with CMS's edit text as CMS publishes it, CMS's own error message, cause, tips and action from the iQIES error guide, and the OASIS items the edit checks.
What an OASIS Edit ID Is
Every rule iQIES runs on an OASIS record has a number. CMS explains it in section 4 of its OASIS Data Submission Specifications Overview, Version 3.02.0 (October 29, 2025):
Each edit (formatting, consistency, etc.) has been assigned a unique ID number. If an edit applies to more than one item, the detailed data specifications report lists the edit ID along with the text of the edit so that it is unambiguously clear that the same edit applies to a set of items.
Section 6.4 of the same document covers the numbering:
These codes begin with the number -3001 and increase sequentially in absolute value. The order of the edit IDs is arbitrary. These edit ID codes will be used on the feedback reports that are produced by the iQIES system.
So the ID on your validation report is the same ID in CMS's specifications. Each one has a page here with CMS's exact rule, the items it covers, and CMS's own advice on fixing it.
Where the Edit ID Shows Up
CMS's iQIES OASIS Error Message Reference Guide (Version 2.4, February 5, 2026) describes the report that carries the IDs:
An OASIS Provider Final Validation Report is automatically generated within 24 hours of successful submission of a file. A file may include one or more records. The Report details the errors, if any, in the submitted records within the file.
And what each line of that report holds:
Each error is noted on the report by its numeric identifier and severity (Fatal or Warning). The report also includes a brief description of the error and notes the submitted item values that triggered the error.
The guide also names a case where the automatic report never arrives:
Certain severe fatal errors in the submitted file or one of its records can prevent the system from creating and placing the automatically generated OASIS Agency Final Validation Report in the agency's folder. To view these errors, the submitter can request the OASIS Submitter Final Validation Report in iQIES.
The guide's spreadsheet lists 18 errors of type "System", -901 to -930 (14 fatal, 4 warning). They are not in the data specifications. One of them, -904, is the case where no automatic report is created. CMS's tips for it say: "When error -904 occurs, the file cannot be processed by the system; therefore, a system-generated final validation report cannot be created. This error is identified only on the Submitter Final Validation Report." All 18 are on the file and system errors page. For the submission process itself, see Submitting OASIS to iQIES.
Practice, not a CMS rule: when a record comes back, I read the edit text before the one-line message. The message names what failed. The edit text names every condition the record has to meet, and which items it looks at.
Fatal or Warning: What Happens to the Record
CMS's overview, section 6.4, defines the two severities:
Fatal. Violation of a fatal edit will result in rejection of the submission file. Format and skip pattern edits are always fatal. Most consistency edits are fatal, but some are warnings.
Warning. Violation of a warning edit will result in a warning message on the user feedback report. However, a warning will not prevent the submitted assessment data from being accepted and stored in the iQIES system.
The iQIES error guide says what to do with each:
Records with fatal errors will be rejected. All fatal errors in a record must be corrected and resubmitted.
All warning errors should be reviewed and corrected if appropriate, to ensure the data uploaded is accurate and complete.
By our tally of the V3.02.0 list, the nine warning edits are -3170 (CCN does not match the national database), -3280 to -3320 (gaps between the inpatient discharge, start or resumption of care, completion and discharge dates), -3330 (a new record submitted more than 30 days after completion), -4991 (primary diagnosis severity rating) and -5360 (item set version code). Every other current edit is fatal. One detail does not fit the overview's sentence above: -5360 is a format edit, and CMS lists it as a warning.
The Four Edit Types
CMS's overview, section 6.4, names three types and what each does:
Format. Format edits specify special rules for formatting item values.
Consistency. Consistency edits define logical constraints among multiple items.
Skip pattern. Skip patterns always involve two or more items. The first item in the group is designated the trigger (or gateway) item. The value of the trigger item determines whether the remaining items are answered by the assessor or are skipped. If an item is skipped, it will be blank (have no value). Items that are blank because they are skipped must be denoted with the "caret" character (^) in the submission file.
There is a fourth. Section 5.3 of the overview describes an edits report "sorted by type (none-of-the-above, skip pattern, format, consistency, etc.)", and its Appendix A lists the relation type codes as "NOA"=none of the above, "SKIP"=skip pattern, "FORMAT", "OTHER". One current edit carries the type "None of above": -6020, on the N0415 high-risk drug class items. Its part (a) reads: "If N0415Z1=[1], then the following items must equal [0]: N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1." The site's skip patterns page explains the trigger-and-dependent idea for clinicians.
How to Read an Edit's Text
CMS writes edit text in a compact notation. Section 8 of the overview sets out the rules:
Where edits refer to values of an item, those values are always enclosed in brackets.
[1,2,3] means "1" or "2" or "3".
[00-15] means "00" through "15" (inclusive).
[^] means the caret character, which indicates a blank.
"Not equal [^]" refers to any legal value for an item other than the caret character (which indicates a blank).
Two more rules matter when an edit seems to fire on an item you did not send. Values in a list are joined by "or": "when more than one value is listed, they are implicitly connected by a logical "OR"." And edits only touch items that are active for the record's type:
The relational edits that are included in the data specifications apply only to items that are active for a particular item subset. Items that are not active on a particular item subset should not be submitted and are not edited even if they are submitted.
Many edits have lettered parts, (a), (b), (c). The iQIES error guide usually lists those parts as separate error IDs with a letter, like -5371a and -5371b. A few, such as -5372, have one guide entry for both parts. The page for -5371 shows both of its entries, each with CMS's message, cause, tips and action.
Which Version of the Edits Applies
CMS's overview, section 2, is plain about it:
the version of the data specifications that applies to a given assessment record is determined by the completion date (M0090_INFO_COMPLETED_DT) that is contained in that record.
Table 1 of the overview gives version 3.01 an effective start date of 01/01/2025 and an end date of 03/31/2026, and version 3.02 a start date of 04/01/2026 with an end date of "none". Section 3.2 says what iQIES does with that date:
When a submitted record is validated by the iQIES system, its completion date is evaluated and is used to load the appropriate set of edits for the specifications in effect on that date. If the submitted record does not conform to those edits, the appropriate warnings or error messages will be issued and the record may be rejected.
The version code in the record, SPEC_VRSN_CD, does not change this. The overview says "the value submitted does not affect or control in any way the version of the data specs that is applied to the submitted record." So a record completed in March 2026 and submitted in May 2026 is normally checked against version 3.01. The overview keeps one exception open: "On rare occasions, a change to the data specs may take effect based upon submission date rather than completion date. When this occurs, it will be noted in the data specs."
What Changed in V3.02.0
CMS's Edit Change Report for V3.02.0 lists every edit that changed from the last release. In short, as I read it:
- -3060, the "invalid value" edit for code and checklist items, dropped the deleted items A1250A to A1250Y, M0069_PAT_GENDER and O0350, and added the new items A0810 and A1255.
- -3190, the check that finds the earlier record when you modify or inactivate one, was deleted and replaced by -7050. The locator items of -7050 include the new A0810 (sex).
- -5810 to -5890, -5900 and -5910, the D0150 mood interview edits, were replaced by -7070 to -7078, -7060 and -7061.
- -5740 was deleted because the A1250 items were deleted. -4885 went earlier, in errata V3.01.3, and was replaced by -7045.
- -5681 had a typo fixed in part (b).
CMS's own words for each change are on the edit pages, under the version note. The deleted IDs keep a page, so a report on an older record still finds them. Each one names its replacement where CMS names one.
The Counts, and What They Are Not
| Current edits, fatal | 193 |
|---|---|
| Current edits, warning | 9 |
| IDs CMS has deleted (page kept with the note) | 14 |
| Information messages (-9010 to -9190) | 17 |
| Errors of type "System" in the iQIES error guide (-901 to -930; 14 fatal, 4 warning) | 18 |
These count distinct edit IDs. They do not count the ways a record can fail: -3060 alone applies to 365 items, and an edit with parts (a) to (f) is still one ID.
The 17 information messages are CMS notes attached to items, like how a record's effective date is worked out (-9060) or how height and weight are rounded (-9190). The overview, section 6.5, says of them: "These messages are not issued by the iQIES system." They share one page.
Where CMS's Fix Guidance Comes From
Each edit page carries two CMS texts. The first is the edit itself, from the data specifications. The second is from CMS's OASIS Error Message Reference Guide, the spreadsheet the QIES Technical Support Office lists on its home health agency reference manuals page as "OASIS Error Messages v2.4 (posted 02/05/2026)". The PDF guide describes its columns:
The first four explanatory columns are followed by five additional columns explaining the potential cause, tips to correct the error, actions to take, and the last active date.
Those columns are what the edit pages show as potential cause, tips, action, and effective start and end dates. They are CMS's words, not mine. An end date of 2099-12-31 is CMS's date for an open-ended entry.
For 21 current edits (-5720, -5730, -5750 to -5800 and -6070 to -6190), every guide entry ends on 2026-03-31, although the V3.02.0 specifications still list the edits as current. Their pages say so and quote the ended entries with CMS's dates.
For technical support with iQIES itself, the guide gives this contact. It names your agency's iQIES Security Officer for access problems.
For technical support: Contact the iQIES Service Center: Phone: 800-339-9313 email: iQIES@cms.hhs.gov
How This Relates to the Validator
The site's OASIS-E2 submission validator runs a subset of the fatal edits against a test record. These pages are the full reference behind it: every ID, including the ones the validator does not run.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an OASIS edit number like -3060 mean?
It is CMS's ID for one validation rule in the OASIS Data Submission Specifications. iQIES prints the same ID on the Final Validation Report. -3060 is the "invalid value" edit: only the coded values CMS lists for an item may be submitted. The page for each ID shows CMS's rule text, the items it covers, and CMS's fix guidance.
What is the difference between a fatal and a warning OASIS edit?
A fatal edit rejects the record; CMS's overview says a fatal violation "will result in rejection of the submission file." A warning is printed on the feedback report but "will not prevent the submitted assessment data from being accepted and stored in the iQIES system." CMS's overview says format and skip pattern edits are always fatal. By our tally of the V3.02.0 list, nine edits are warnings: eight consistency edits and one format edit, -5360.
Does a warning mean I have to resubmit the OASIS record?
CMS's iQIES error guide says warnings "should be reviewed and corrected if appropriate, to ensure the data uploaded is accurate and complete." The record is already stored, because a warning "will not prevent the submitted assessment data from being accepted and stored in the iQIES system." The guide's instruction is to review it and correct it if appropriate.
How do I find out which OASIS edit rejected my record?
Open the OASIS Provider Final Validation Report in iQIES. CMS's guide says it "is automatically generated within 24 hours of successful submission of a file" and that each error is noted "by its numeric identifier and severity (Fatal or Warning)." That number is the edit ID. If no report was created because of a severe file error, request the OASIS Submitter Final Validation Report.
Which OASIS data specification version applies to my record?
The one in effect on the record's completion date, M0090_INFO_COMPLETED_DT. CMS's Table 1 gives version 3.01 the dates 01/01/2025 to 03/31/2026 and version 3.02 a start date of 04/01/2026 with no end date. The submission date and the SPEC_VRSN_CD value in the record do not change which edits are applied.
What does the caret (^) mean in an OASIS edit?
A blank. CMS's overview says "[^] means the caret character, which indicates a blank." Items skipped under a skip pattern must be submitted with a single caret as the value. Edits that say an item "must equal [^]" require that blank; edits that say "must not equal [^]" require a real value.
Why does an edit list items that are not on my assessment?
Because the edit is written once for all record types. CMS's overview says relational edits "apply only to items that are active for a particular item subset" and that inactive items "are not edited even if they are submitted." Only the items active for your record's reason for assessment are checked.
Where is CMS's full list of OASIS edits?
In the OASIS-E2 Data Submission Specifications zip on CMS's Data Specifications page. It holds the Unduplicated Edits By ID Report (PDF) and an HTML bundle with one page per edit. CMS's fix guidance is in the OASIS Error Message Reference Guide spreadsheet on the QTSO reference manuals page. Both are linked under Sources, and both are copied onto this site's edit pages without rewording.
Sources
- CMS, OASIS-E2 Data Submission Specifications V3.02.0 FINAL (zip, dated 10-13-2025, HTML bundle generated 11/05/2025). Contains the Overview, the Unduplicated Edits By ID Report, the Edit Change Report, the Item Change Report, the HTML edit and item pages, and the CSV data dictionary. https://www.cms.gov/files/zip/oasis-e2-data-specs-v3-02-0-final-zip.zip, linked from https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/home-health/data-specifications
- CMS, OASIS Data Submission Specifications Overview, Version 3.02.0, October 29, 2025 (in the zip above). Sections 2, 3.2, 4, 5.3, 6.4, 6.5 and 8 and Appendix A are quoted on this page.
- CMS, OASIS E2 Edit Change Report (V3.02.0) FINAL 10-13-2025 (in the zip above).
- CMS QIES Technical Support Office, iQIES OASIS Error Message Reference Guide, Version 2.4, February 5, 2026 (PDF). https://qtso.cms.gov/system/files/qtso/OASIS%20Error%20Message%20User%20Guide%20v2.4%20FINAL%202.5.26.pdf
- CMS QIES Technical Support Office, OASIS Error Message Reference Guide FINAL 2.4.26 (Excel), posted 2026-02-05. https://qtso.cms.gov/system/files/qtso/OASIS%20Error%20Message%20Reference%20Guide%20FINAL%202.4.26.xlsx, linked from https://qtso.cms.gov/providers/home-health-agency-hha-providers/reference-manuals
CMS text on this page and on every edit page is copied from CMS's documents without rewording. One rendering artifact in CMS's HTML bundle, a double quote standing in for an apostrophe ("Patient"s"), is corrected to the apostrophe CMS's PDF report prints. The counts are our tally of CMS's files. Checked against CMS's files on 2026-10-16; next check by 2027-01-15, or sooner when CMS posts an errata, a new data specifications version or a new error guide. This page is maintained by Logicly, which builds scheduling software for home health agencies and is not affiliated with CMS.