GG0100: CMS OASIS Q&As

The intent of GG0100 - Prior Functioning: Everyday Activities is to record the patient’s ability with everyday activities prior to the current illness, exacerbation, or injury. GG0100A - Self Care identifies the patient’s need for assistance with bathing, dressing, using the toilet, and eating prior to the current illness, exacerbation, or injury. If the patient required assistance prior to the most recent illness, injury or exacerbation, to complete any of the GG0100A activities then code 2 - Needed Some Help. If assistance was provided but not required prior to the most recent illness, injury or exacerbation, and the patient could complete all of the GG0100A activities themself, code 3 Independent.

GG0100C - Prior Functioning: Everyday Activities - Stairs identifies the patient’s need for assistance with internal or external stairs (with or without a device such as cane, crutch, or walker) prior to the current illness, exacerbation or injury. CMS guidance includes “internal or external stairs,” and does not further define the number of steps for GG0100C Stairs. In the scenario you describe, the patient does go and up down 3 stairs to get into and out of their home independently. Code GG0100C Prior Functioning - Stairs as Code 3 - Independent.

The “majority of tasks” convention that applies for the M1800 Activities of Daily Living (ADL)/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) items does not apply to the GG Prior Functioning, Self-Care, and Mobility items. In situations where the patient’s prior ability varied between the listed GG activities, group all activities together and code based on patient’s ability considering all activities together. For example, for GG0100 - Prior Functioning, if a patient completed all of the activities by themselves, with or without an assistive device, with no assistance from a helper, code as “3. Independent.” If a patient needed partial assistance from another person to complete any of the activities, code as “2. Needed Some Help.” If a helper completed all of the activities for the patient because the patient could not assist, code as “1. Dependent.” For the GG0130 - Self-Care and GG0170 - Mobility activities that include multiple activities (e.g., Upper body dressing for a patient who wears an undershirt, blouse, and sweater), code using the 6-point scale based on the patient’s ability to complete all relevant tasks.