OASIS · Section M
M0040 — Patient Name
Response options, how to score it, and the error that most often sends the record back. Cited to Ch. 1, Item M0040.
How to score it
Record the patient's legal name as documented in the medical record: First, Middle Initial, Last, and Suffix (Jr., Sr., III, etc.) in separate sub-fields. The name must match the Medicare card / state ID on file; mismatches cause iQIES validation errors when matched against eligibility files.
The common error
Recording a preferred name or nickname instead of the legal name. M0040 is matched against Medicare/Medicaid eligibility — use the legal name even if the patient prefers another.
Source: OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual — Ch. 1, Item M0040. Verified 2026-04-26.
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