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Nursing Home Pre-Admission Review

In Ohio, a Pre-Admission Review (PAR) is a mandatory screening process required before a person enters a Medicaid-certified nursing facility. It matches individuals with the right care settings and includes two main parts: Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR), which is a screening for mental illness or developmental disabilities, and a Level of Care (LOC) assessment for individuals for whom Medicaid is the primary payer.

Core parts of the review

  • Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR): A federal rule requiring a screening for serious mental illness or developmental disabilities. It applies to everyone moving into a Medicaid-certified nursing facility, regardless of payer source. These screens are completed electronically by the nursing facilities and hospitals in the Healthcare Electronic Notification System (HENS). Learn more about PASRR.
  • Level of Care (LOC): A check of physical and nursing needs. The review is completed by the local Area Agencies on Aging and determines if a person qualifies for skilled or intermediate care paid by Medicaid. For Ohio Medicaid members enrolled in a managed care plan, the plan – not the Area Agency on Aging – coordinates the LOC assessment and authorization for skilled nursing facility services. Financial eligibility for Medicaid is determined by the local county Department of Job and Family Services.

Forms and checklists for nursing facilities and hospitals

Ohio Department of Medicaid contacts for nursing facilities

The following contact information has been provided by the Ohio Department of Medicaid for the purposes noted.

For questions regarding 9401 submissions, nursing facility admissions and discharges, please contact: [email protected]
For questions regarding PASRR and related processes, please contact: [email protected]
For questions regarding LOC and related processes, please contact: [email protected]

HENS system and Level II PASRR referrals contacts

Ascend/Maximus (for referrals to Ohio Dept. of Behavioral Health):
Phone: 1-833-917-2777
Fax number:  877-431-9568
Email:  [email protected]
Dept. of Developmental Disabilities (for referrals to Ohio Dept. of Developmental Disabilities)
Phone:   (614) 466-6187
Fax number:  (614) 995-4877
Email:   [email protected]
HENS (for technical assistance with HENS system, adding new facilities or changing facility names)
Help Desk Phone:   (614) 752-9180
Help Desk Email:     [email protected] 

Contacting our Pre-Admission Review team

PASRR and LOC requests: All PASRR documentation must be completed in HENS. LOC requests should be faxed or emailed to the appropriate fax numbers or email address below.

By e-mail: [email protected]
By phone: (513) 345-8622
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday
By fax:
For hospitals and hospice: (513) 810-3350
For NFs and other agencies: (513) 810-3360
Search for a nursing facility using these tools:
Ohio Department of Aging Long-term Care Quality Navigator
Medicare Healthcare Provider Search
  • There is no weekend or holiday coverage for LOC requests.
  • Effective July 1, 2023, the Ohio Department of Aging and Ohio Area Agencies on Aging will no longer offer extended coverage. Please submit all PASSR requests via HENS.

Links for Ohio Administrative Code rules