Free OASIS-E2 Change Table Download: What’s New in 2026

Home health agencies must stay ahead of ongoing regulatory change—and the next update on the horizon is OASIS-E2. While many agencies are still adapting to OASIS-E1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun the formal process to transition to OASIS-E2, scheduled for April 1, 2026.

This update includes several data element modifications, time-point adjustments, and item removals to improve cross-setting data standardization. In this article, we’ll review the purpose and timing of the change, outline the major item revisions, discuss operational impacts for home health teams, and provide a roadmap for preparation.

Free OASIS-E2 change table download

Preparing for OASIS-E2 means understanding exactly what has changed from OASIS-E1, and how those differences affect assessment and documentation. To make preparation easier, we created a Free OASIS-E2 Change Table that visually outlines every CMS update effective April 1, 2026.

This downloadable PDF highlights additions, removals, and revisions across SOC, ROC, TRN, and DC. It serves as a practical reference for home health teams updating internal procedures, retraining clinicians, and configuring EHR systems ahead of implementation.

What’s included in the PDF

• Side-by-side comparison of all OASIS-E1 and OASIS-E2 item changes

• Color-coded indicators showing new, removed, and revised fields

• Updated time-point mapping for SOC, ROC, DC, TRN, and Follow-Up (FU)

• Key notes from CMS sub-regulatory guidance and annual rulemaking updates

OASIS-E2 Change Table

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List of abbreviations used in the OASIS-E2 change table

For quick reference, the Free OASIS-E2 Change Table PDF includes the following CMS-standard abbreviations used across assessment systems:

These abbreviations align with CMS terminology used across the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HHQRP) and related data systems.

Background and context

The Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) is periodically updated to align with CMS rulemaking and quality reporting requirements. Each new version incorporates regulatory updates, new quality measures, or refinements designed to promote consistency with other post-acute care data sets.

The OASIS-E2 update is unique because it represents an off-cycle implementation—scheduled for April 2026 rather than the traditional January 1 rollout. In mid-2025, CMS submitted its OASIS-E2 Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) package for review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which includes:^1,2

• A supporting statement outlining rationale and timing

• A detailed change table comparing OASIS-E1 to OASIS-E2

• A complete draft of the OASIS-E2 instrument

• A crosswalk of items by time point

OASIS-E1 became effective January 1, 2025, following OMB approval. That version introduced all-payer reporting and expanded social determinants of health data collection. The move to OASIS-E2 represents the next step—refining rather than overhauling the dataset to improve alignment with CMS’s broader data standardization efforts. If your team is still finalizing training or audit updates under the current data set, our Free OASIS-E1 Cheat Sheet provides a concise summary of the items introduced in 2025, including all-payer reporting requirements and new SDOH elements.

OASIS-E2 refines rather than overhauls the dataset, advancing CMS’s broader standardization goals.

Purpose and timing of the update

OASIS-E2 builds on the all-payer reporting structure established with OASIS-E1, allowing agencies additional time to adjust workflows and vendor systems before the next data-submission cycle. The April 1, 2026 effective date marks a mid-year rollout—an uncommon move by CMS—designed to ease the transition and better align the home-health data set with other post-acute assessment tools. ^1-3

What’s changing under OASIS-E2

The OASIS-E2 Change Table highlights a concise set of removals, replacements, and additions. While not as sweeping as prior versions, these adjustments have meaningful implications for coding, quality reporting, and workflow:³

Removed or replaced items

• O0350 – Patient’s COVID-19 Vaccination Is Up to Date: Removed from all time points under the CY 2026 Proposed Rule.

• A1250 – Transportation: Retired and replaced with A1255 – Transportation, aligning the item language with other CMS data sets.

• M0069 – Gender: Replaced with A0810 – Sex, refining demographic data collection for accuracy and interoperability.

Added items and adjustments

• A1110 – Language: Added at the Resumption of Care (ROC) time point to identify preferred language and interpreter needs.

• B0200 – Vision and B1000 – Hearing: Introduced at ROC to support risk adjustment and communication assessments.

• Time-point Logic Revisions: Several skip patterns and sequencing rules were adjusted to ensure consistency across the Start of Care (SOC), ROC, Transfer (TRN), and Discharge (DC) time points.

These changes reflect CMS’s goal of standardizing data elements across the Minimum Data Set (MDS), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility–Patient Assessment Instrument (IRF-PAI), and Long-Term Care Data Set (LCDS).

Operational impacts and implementation challenges

Assessment workflow

The new ROC items for hearing, vision, and language will slightly increase clinician documentation time. Agencies will need to adjust visit templates and validate skip logic to maintain coding accuracy.

Staff training

Training teams will need to update OASIS reference materials and conduct refresher sessions for clinicians, QA staff, and educators. Emphasis should be placed on differentiating the new A1255 Transportation and A0810 Sex items, as well as the removal of COVID-19 vaccination reporting.

Quality and compliance

QA reviewers should update audit tools and validation checklists to match OASIS-E2 structure. Cross-checking older E1 logic against E2’s revised sequencing will prevent early compliance errors.

Technology and vendor coordination

Home health software vendors will need to update form logic, XML output, and submission validation to meet the April 2026 launch. Agencies should schedule testing and training well in advance to avoid data rejections in iQIES.

OASIS-E2 readiness roadmap

The following phased roadmap can help your agency prepare for a smooth transition to OASIS-E2 implementation.

Key dates

As agencies move through the final stages of OASIS-E1 adoption, here are the next key dates to track for OASIS-E2.

• Late 2025: Vendor testing and clinician training updates begin.

• April 1, 2026: OASIS-E2 becomes the required assessment version for all SOC, ROC, TRN, and DC time points.³

• Mid-2026: CMS releases updated guidance and FAQs based on early implementation feedback.

Preparing your home health team for OASIS-E2

Medbridge helps home health organizations prepare for evolving CMS requirements and deliver high-quality care through an integrated ecosystem of education and workflow tools.

With Medbridge Home Health, your team can:

• Strengthen OASIS accuracy and documentation confidence with accredited training.

• Provide just-in-time clinical guidance through an evidence-based skills library.

• Streamline onboarding and mentorship with digital checklists and reporting dashboards.

• Support continuous professional growth through CE-accredited courses and certificate programs.

Whether you’re training new staff, standardizing assessments, or improving quality outcomes, we offer the scalable tools you need to stay compliant and deliver exceptional home health care.

Key takeaways for OASIS-E2 readiness

OASIS-E2 introduces targeted refinements that will affect documentation, workflows, and compliance across home health agencies. Preparing early—by updating QA processes, software, and clinician training—will ensure a smooth transition when implementation begins in April 2026.

Medbridge supports this preparation with trusted education, practical resources, and tools like the Free OASIS-E2 Change Table PDF to help teams navigate updates confidently and maintain accuracy in patient assessment.

References

1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025, August 12). OASIS data sets. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/home-health/oasis-data-sets

2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025, July 2). Medicare and Medicaid programs; Calendar year 2026 home health prospective payment system rate update; Requirements for the home health quality reporting program and the home health value-based purchasing expanded model; and other Medicare and Medicaid policies [Proposed rule]. Federal Register. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/02/2025-12347/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-calendar-year-2026-home-health-prospective-payment-system-hh-pps-rate

3. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025, July 17). OASIS-E2 change table (Effective April 2026) [PDF]. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/oasise2changetable07-17-2025.pdf-0