Ariz. Admin. Code § R9-28-303 - Preadmission Screening (PAS) Process

A. The assessor shall use the PAS instrument to determine whether the following applicants or members are at immediate risk of institutionalization:

1. The assessor shall use the PAS instrument prescribed in R9-28-304 to assess an applicant or member who is EPD.

2. The assessor shall use the age-specific PAS instrument prescribed in R9-28-305 to assess an applicant or member who is physically disabled and less than 6 years old. After assessing the child, the assessor shall refer the child for physician consultant review under subsections (G) through (J).

3. The assessor shall use the PAS instrument prescribed in R9-28-305 to assess an applicant or member who is DD, except as specified in subsection (A)(4) for an applicant or member who is DD and residing in a NF. After assessing a child who is DD and less than 6 months of age, the assessor shall refer the child for physician consultant review under subsections (G) through (J).

4. The assessor shall use the PAS instrument prescribed in R9-28-304 for an applicant or a member who is DD and residing in a NF.

5. The assessor shall use the PAS instrument prescribed in R9-28-304 or R9-28-305, whichever is applicable, to assess an applicant or member who is classified as ventilator-dependent, under Section 1902(e)(9) of the Social Security Act.

B. For an initial assessment of an applicant who is in a hospital or other acute care setting:

1. A registered nurse assessor shall complete the PAS assessment; or

2. In the event that a registered nurse assessor is not available, a social worker assessor shall complete the PAS assessment; and

3. The assessor shall conduct the PAS assessment and determine medical eligibility when discharge is scheduled within seven days.

C. An assessor shall conduct a PAS assessment with an applicant or member, except as provided in subsection (F). The assessor shall make reasonable efforts to obtain the applicant's or member's available medical records. The assessor may also obtain information for the PAS assessment from interviews with the:

1. Applicant or member,

2. Parent,

3. Guardian,

4. Caregiver, or

5. Any person familiar with the applicant's or member's functional or medical condition.

D. Using the information described in subsection (C), an assessor shall complete the PAS assessment based on the assessor's education, experience, professional judgment, and training.

E. After the assessor completes the PAS assessment, the assessor shall calculate a PAS score. The assessor shall compare the PAS score to an established threshold score. The scoring methodology and threshold scores are specified in R9-28-304 and R9-28-305 . Except as determined by physician consultant review as provided in subsections (G) through (J), the threshold score is the point at which an applicant or member is determined to be at immediate risk of institutionalization.

F. Upon request from a person acting on behalf of the applicant, the Administration shall conduct a PAS assessment to determine whether a deceased applicant would have been eligible to receive ALTCS benefits for those months.

G. In the following circumstances, the Administration shall request that a physician consultant review the PAS assessment, the available medical records, and use professional judgment to make the determination that an applicant or member has a developmental disability or has a nonpsychiatric medical condition that, by itself or in combination with other medical conditions, places an applicant or member at immediate risk of institutionalization:

1. The PAS score of an applicant or member who is EPD is less than the threshold specified in R9-28-304, but is at least 56;

2. The PAS score of an applicant or member who is DD is less than the threshold specified in R9-28-305, but is at least 38;

3. An applicant or member scores below the threshold specified in R9-28-304, but the Administration has reasonable cause to believe that the applicant's or member's unique functional abilities or medical condition may place the applicant or member at immediate risk of institutionalization;

4. An applicant or member scores below the threshold specified in R9-28-304 and has a documented diagnosis of autism, autistic-like behavior, or pervasive developmental disorder;

5. An applicant or member who is seriously mentally ill as defined in A.R.S. § 36-550 who scores at or above the threshold specified in R9-28-304, but may not meet the requirements of A.R.S. § 36-2936. When an applicant or member who is seriously mentally ill scores at or above the threshold, the physician consultant shall exercise professional judgment to determine whether the applicant or member meets the requirements of A.R.S. § 36-2936.

6. An applicant is an AHCCCS acute care member and scores at or above the threshold specified in R9-28-304 but the Administration has reasonable cause to believe that the applicant's condition is convalescent and requires less than 90 days of institutional care;

7. An applicant or member is a child who is physically disabled and is at least 6 but less than 12 years of age;

8. An applicant or member is a child who is physically disabled and is under 6 years of age; and

9. An applicant is under 6 months of age.

H. The physician consultant shall consider the following:

1. Activities of daily living dependence;

2. Delay in development;

3. Continence;

4. Orientation;

5. Behavior;

6. Any medical condition, including stability and prognosis of the condition;

7. Any medical nursing treatment provided to the applicant or member including skilled monitoring, medication, and therapeutic regimens;

8. The degree to which the applicant or member must be supervised;

9. The skill and training required of the applicant or member's caregiver; and

10. Any other factor of significance to the individual case.

I. If the physician consultant is unable to make the determination from the PAS assessment and the available medical records, the physician consultant may conduct a face-to-face review with the applicant or member or contact others familiar with the applicant's or member's needs, including a primary care physician or other caregiver, to make the determination.

J. The physician consultant shall state the reasons for the determination in the physician review comment section of the PAS instrument.

Notes

Ariz. Admin. Code § R9-28-303

Adopted effective October 1, 1988, filed September 1, 1988 (Supp. 88-3). Amended effective July 13, 1992 (Supp. 92-3). Amended under an exemption from A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 6, pursuant to Laws 1992, Ch. 301, § 61, effective July 1, 1993 (Supp. 93-3). Amended effective November 5, 1993 (Supp. 93-4). Section repealed by emergency action, new Section adopted by emergency action effective June 30, 1995, pursuant to A.R.S. § 41-1026, valid for 180 days (Supp. 95-2). Section repealed by emergency action, new Section adopted again by emergency action effective January 2, 1996, pursuant to A.R.S. § 41-1026, valid for 180 days (Supp. 96-1). Emergency expired June 1, 1996. Section in effect before emergency action restored. Section repealed; new Section adopted effective January 14, 1997 (Supp. 97-1). Former Section R9-28-303 renumbered to R9-28-304; new Section R9-28-303 made by final rulemaking at 7 A.A.R. 5824, effective December 7, 2001 (Supp. 01-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 4007, effective October 5, 2006 (Supp. 06-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 17 A.A.R. 167, effective March 12, 2011 (Supp. 11-1). Amended by final expedited rulemaking at 28 A.A.R. 3303, effective 9/23/2022.