OASIS edit -6020: Inconsistent N0415 items
Edit -6020 is a fatal none of above edit in CMS's OASIS-E2 data specifications V3.02.0, effective for records with completion dates on or after 2026-04-01. iQIES reports it as "Inconsistent N0415 items". A fatal edit rejects the record: "Records with fatal errors will be rejected. All fatal errors in a record must be corrected and resubmitted." It checks 7 items: N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1, and more. CMS's action: "Make appropriate corrections to the records and resubmit."
What CMS's data specification says about -6020
CMS's OASIS-E2 Data Submission Specifications V3.02.0 (HTML edit page oe_6020.html, generated 11/05/2025) list edit -6020 with edit type None of above and severity Fatal. The edit text, as CMS publishes it:
(a) If N0415Z1=[1], then the following items must equal [0]: N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1. (b) If N0415Z1=[0], then at least one of the following items must equal [1]: N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1. (c) If N0415Z1=[-], then at least one of the following active items must equal [-], and the rest of the active items must be [0,-]: N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1.
What the iQIES error message for -6020 says
CMS's OASIS Error Message Reference Guide v2.4 (Excel, posted 2026-02-05 on the QTSO reference manuals page) has 3 current entries for this edit. Each is copied in full, with whitespace normalised:
-6020a
- Error ID
- -6020a
- Severity
- Fatal
- Type
- None of above
- Error message
- Inconsistent N0415 items: If N0415Z1 None of the Above is checked [1], then N0415A1 through N0415J1 must not be checked [0].
- Potential cause
- The value submitted in item N0415Z1 is not consistent with one or more values submitted in High-Risk Drug Classes: Use and Indication items on Admission.
- Tips
- If N0415Z1 is checked [1], then the following items must not be checked [0]: N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1.
- Action
- Make appropriate corrections to the records and resubmit.
- Effective start date
- 2023-01-01
- Effective end date
- 2099-12-31 (CMS uses this date for an open-ended entry)
-6020b
- Error ID
- -6020b
- Severity
- Fatal
- Type
- None of above
- Error message
- Inconsistent N0415 items: If N0415Z1 None of the Above is not checked [0], then at least one of the following items N0415A1 through N0415J1 must be checked [1].
- Potential cause
- The value submitted in item N0415Z1 is not consistent with one or more values submitted in High-Risk Drug Classes: Use and Indication items on Admission.
- Tips
- If N0415Z1 is not checked [0], then at least one of the following items must be checked [1]: N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1.
- Action
- Make appropriate corrections to the records and resubmit.
- Effective start date
- 2023-01-01
- Effective end date
- 2099-12-31 (CMS uses this date for an open-ended entry)
-6020c
- Error ID
- -6020c
- Severity
- Fatal
- Type
- None of above
- Error message
- Inconsistent N0415 items: If N0415Z1 is dashed, then at least one of the following items must be dashed [-], and the rest of the active items must be either not checked or dashed [0,-]: N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1.
- Potential cause
- The value submitted in the High-Risk drug class items N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1 is not consistent with the value submitted in N0415Z1.
- Tips
- IF N0415Z1 is a dash [-], THEN at least ONE of the following items N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1 must be a dash [-], AND the rest of the items N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1 must be unchecked or a dash [-]
- Action
- Make appropriate corrections to the records and resubmit.
- Effective start date
- 2023-01-01
- Effective end date
- 2099-12-31 (CMS uses this date for an open-ended entry)
Items this edit checks
CMS's Item List for -6020 names 7 items.
| Item ID | Description (CMS) | Item page |
|---|---|---|
| N0415A1 | High-Risk Drug (Is Taking): Antipsychotic | none yet |
| N0415E1 | High-Risk Drug (Is taking): Anticoagulant | none yet |
| N0415F1 | High-Risk Drug (Is taking): Antibiotic | none yet |
| N0415H1 | High-Risk Drug (Is taking): Opioid | none yet |
| N0415I1 | High-Risk Drug (Is taking): Antiplatelet | none yet |
| N0415J1 | High-Risk Drug (Is taking): Hypoglycemic | none yet |
| N0415Z1 | High-Risk Drug (Is taking): None of the above | none yet |
Related edits
Other current edits whose CMS Item List shares one or more items with -6020 (the broad -3060 value edit, which covers 365 items, is left out):
| Edit ID | Severity | Type | iQIES label | Items shared |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -5960 | Fatal | Skip pattern | Inconsistent N0415 items | 1 |
| -5970 | Fatal | Skip pattern | Inconsistent N0415 items | 1 |
| -5980 | Fatal | Skip pattern | Inconsistent N0415 items | 1 |
| -5990 | Fatal | Skip pattern | Inconsistent N0415 items | 1 |
| -6000 | Fatal | Skip pattern | Inconsistent N0415 items | 1 |
| -6010 | Fatal | Skip pattern | Inconsistent N0415 items | 1 |
What happens to the record
CMS's overview, section 6.4, on fatal edits: "Violation of a fatal edit will result in rejection of the submission file." CMS's iQIES error message guide: "Records with fatal errors will be rejected. All fatal errors in a record must be corrected and resubmitted."
Which records this edit applies to
Data specifications version 3.02 has an effective start date of 2026-04-01 and no end date (CMS overview, Table 1). CMS selects the edit set by the record's completion 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."
Frequently asked questions
Is OASIS edit -6020 fatal or a warning?
Fatal. CMS lists edit -6020 with severity Fatal in the OASIS-E2 data specifications V3.02.0. The CMS overview states: "Violation of a fatal edit will result in rejection of the submission file." The iQIES error guide adds: "Records with fatal errors will be rejected. All fatal errors in a record must be corrected and resubmitted."
Which OASIS items can trigger edit -6020?
CMS's Item List for edit -6020 names 7 items: N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1, N0415Z1. The full list with descriptions is in the table above.
How do I fix OASIS edit -6020?
CMS's OASIS Error Message Reference Guide v2.4 gives this action for -6020a: "Make appropriate corrections to the records and resubmit." Its tips: "If N0415Z1 is checked [1], then the following items must not be checked [0]: N0415A1, N0415E1, N0415F1, N0415H1, N0415I1, N0415J1." The guide has 3 entries for this edit (-6020a, -6020b, -6020c); each is quoted above.
Which records does edit -6020 apply to?
Under version 3.02 of the data specifications, records whose completion date, item M0090_INFO_COMPLETED_DT, is on or after 2026-04-01, the effective start date CMS gives that version. Records completed earlier are checked under the version in effect on their completion date (CMS overview, Table 1 and section 3.2); the effective start date on each guide entry above is the date CMS's error guide gives that entry. The CMS overview states: "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."
Sources
- CMS, OASIS-E2 Data Submission Specifications V3.02.0 FINAL (zip): HTML edit page
oe_6020.htmland the Unduplicated Edits By ID Report. https://www.cms.gov/files/zip/oasis-e2-data-specs-v3-02-0-final-zip.zip (download page: 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 same zip).
- CMS QTSO, OASIS Error Message Reference Guide v2.4 (Excel), posted 2026-02-05. https://qtso.cms.gov/system/files/qtso/OASIS%20Error%20Message%20Reference%20Guide%20FINAL%202.4.26.xlsx
CMS text on this page is copied from CMS's documents without rewording; whitespace is normalised, and one rendering artifact in CMS's HTML (a double quote standing in for an apostrophe) is corrected to the apostrophe in CMS's PDF report. This page is maintained by Logicly, which is not affiliated with CMS. Checked against the CMS files on 2026-10-16.