FAQ

There are a number of things to keep in mind when you have a credit. First, your online account clearly defines the last date to use the credit. We issue credits to expire the last day of the month of the credit, the following year. So if you got a credit on March 15, 2018, it would expire on March 31, 2019. You must call into our home office to redeem your credit.  Our number is 425-868-2304.  You are free to use that credit towards the purchase of any product, workshop or exam shown on our website. It cannot be used towards state association-sponsored programs you might see on our calendar. If you don’t purchase a product(s), apply to take an exam or register for a workshop prior to the expiration date of that credit, it will expire. It cannot be extended or re-issued. So if you have a credit, be sure to keep that expiration date in mind so you can use it before it’s gone!

Standard shipping is included in the price of the product you’re purchasing.  We ship out using MEDIA MAIL from the US Postal Service. Most people receive their order within 1-2 weeks (5-10 business days), depending on their location and local weather conditions. Orders shipped Media Mail are NOT tracked (unless you’ve ordered 3+ books). If you need products more quickly, you can upgrade to Expedited Shipping for an additional fee.

Expedited Shipping can mean one of several methods of shipment. If you want to have your product order sent to a PO Box, expedited shipping would be Priority Mail from the US Post Office. If you’re planning to ship to a street address, your expedited shipping options include Fed Ex Ground, Fed Ex 2^nd day or Fed Ex Overnight. These methods are trackable. You must specify this premium service when you place your order. There are additional charges for expedited shipping.

You have several options in ordering products from OASIS Answers.  There is an order form in the back of your prior version of the INSTANT book that you can fill out and fax or mail in.  You may place an order on our website in the “Products” section.  You may call the office at 425-868-2304 and place your order over the phone.  The price for the INSTANT OASIS Answers book is $65 and includes shipping via US Media Mail.  Be sure to indicate whether you’d like a spiral bound or perfect bound book.

We don’t offer order fulfillment on PO.  We recommend that you print off the order form from the website and use that as an invoice to do a check request through your company’s Accounts Payable department.

You would need to contact us within 10 days of receipt to notify us that you wish to exchange the item(s).  Return shipment cost is the responsibility of the person/organization returning the item(s). Products must be in new, saleable condition with any plastic shrink-wrap still intact for it to be accepted for return. We can revise your order to include different products via the phone. Please be aware that there will be additional shipping charges incurred on the revised shipment. Those will be calculated at the time of order placement and added to your invoice. Any balance would be collected at the time the order is revised.

Products may be returned for a refund within 10 days of customer receipt. You would be responsible for the return shipping costs and, of course, the product must be in new condition with any plastic overwrap still intact. The initial shipping charges will not be refunded.  Refund will be credited to the initial payment method.

Our apologies if we sent a different product than you ordered. Please call us to let us know what happened, what product you ordered, what product you actually received. We will gladly research the transaction records to verify all the information. Rest assured that, if we erred, we will get the correct item to you right away. If the research indicates that you received what you ordered, you could return it at your expense as long as not more than 10 days had passed and the items was unopened with the any plastic shrink-wrap still intact.  Shipping charges and any product price difference would be calculated for a replacement order and those would be collected at the time of re-order prior to the product shipping.

For the INSTANT OASIS Answers reference guides, a quantity discount affording $5 off per book is available for orders of 50+ books in a single transaction, shipped to a single location. There is currently no other discount structure for any other books or manuals.

Each year, the INSTANT OASIS Answers guide is updated and a lot of people look forward to having the most current, accurate information as quickly as possible. We accept pre-orders of the book and interested people may get in the queue to get their copy by processing a pre-publication order on our website, via fax or through the mail. As long as the book shows Pre-Publication, it has not been finalized and is still a future product.  As soon as the new version of the book is available, we ship them out in the order that pre-publication orders were received.

It means that we’re waiting to get the latest updated version from the supplier. Normally, an estimated shipment timeframe is noted on the product’s description but if you would like to confirm, please feel free to contact us and we will try to get updated shipment dates for you.

Yes! Our workshops are co-provided with the Home Care Institute LLC and are approved for nursing contact hours. Our Blueprint for OASIS Accuracy workshops offer 13 contact hours. The Hospice Item Set (HIS) workshop is 5.5 hours. Our Quarterly OASIS Update Teleconference has 1.5 hours available.

You must sign in at the start of each workshop day and you must complete an end-of-workshop evaluation of the instructors and the program. If you miss part of the program or fail to complete the evaluation, CE credit may not be issued.

When you attend an OASIS Answers-sponsored workshop, you have to sign-in at the beginning of each workshop day. At the end of the workshop, you’re given an evaluation form to fill out. If you have signed in for all days of the workshop and have completed the evaluation, you will be given a workshop-specific CE certificate via email within 30 days of the completion date of the workshop.

If you have questions about CE credits for the Quarterly Teleconference, please read over the section entitled "Is there CE credit available for the Quarterly OASIS Update Teleconferences?"

Our workshops are co-provided with the Home Care Institute LLC.  HCI is nationally accredited and, therefore, does not receive a provider number.

If you went to a workshop that was sponsored by a state homecare association or another agency that did not contract with OASIS Answers to supply the CE credits, that entity is responsible for gaining approval for and issuance of CE credit.  Please contact the organization that you paid to register for the workshop and ask how you can get your CE credit issued.

If it was an OAI workshop, the process is as described in the FAQ “How is CE credit given” in this section. If you attended our entire program and were there at the end of the last day, you will have received everything needed to automatically be issued a certificate for the 13 nursing contact hours after completing the required evaluation.

Because the requirements are different in every state, disciplines other than nursing will have to submit an application/documentation to their governing board to receive approval to count the CEs associated with our workshops. Please contact your governing board and if there are additional documents or items needed to receive approval, please contact us with the specifics of what you need. We will work to get you the information required so that you can satisfy your governing board and receive CE credit.  OAI cannot guarantee that your governing board will grant CE credit for training.

Absolutely! There is 1.5 hours of nursing contact hours (CE) available for each Teleconference participant who completes the electronic sign-in and evaluation required for credit to be awarded. Links to the sign-in and evaluation forms are always sent the day prior to the teleconference for customers who have purchased LIVE participation. For those who purchase AUDIO RECORDING format for the teleconference, they receive the links along with their recording within 24 hours of the teleconference.  The due date for completing the sign-in and evaluations will be clearly noted in the email that contains the links.

Taking the test and earning the designation shows a level of competency with the OASIS Data Set.  Your employer may require the test, internal promotions and career success may hinge on successful test results.  The COS-C Exam is the premier nationally standardized, psychometrically validated test that evaluates a clinician’s knowledge of CMS' OASIS guidelines.

Because our exam is psychometrically validated, we never publish the passing score. The results are reported as pass/fail only. All results, pass or fail, are mailed approximately 2-3 weeks after a Pencil/Paper exam. Results on a computer-based exam will be given to you before you leave the testing center.

OASIS Answers follows industry-standard best practices and provides unsuccessful candidates with feedback after their test. Feedback is useful for finding out how to improve your test performance next time. While you will not receive details on each question in your test, you will be given feedback on your performance in each of the content areas covered by the examination.

OASIS Answers Inc. employs specialists in the branch of psychology that deals with the design, administration, and interpretation of quantitative tests for the measurement of psychological variables such as intelligence and aptitude. The power of psychometric testing is that there is a strong correlation between test scores and job performance, i.e. if you score highly on the COS-C psychometrically validated test, the chances are that you are going to perform well on the job.

We process your registration and email the details to PSI/AMP, our testing center partner. They will send you an email within a few days with more information. From that email, you’ll be able to select a testing center and a time/date that is convenient for you to take your computer-based COS-C exam.

We do not give out exam results over the phone or by email. Exam results will be mailed to you approximately 2-3 weeks after your pencil & paper exam. Results on a computer-based exam will be given to you before you leave the testing center.

OASIS Answers keeps a database of those individuals who are active COS-C designees. You are welcome to check the COS-C listing on our website. The COS-C database is updated regularly but there is a 60 day lag time after an individual takes the exam for their passing status to appear on the database.

Only you can decide if you are ready to take the exam. Review the sample questions on the website (exam tab / prep resources) and determine for yourself if you feel comfortable with your knowledge base.

Although the Blueprint for Oasis Accuracy workshop is helpful, it’s your decision whether or not to take the class before you sit for the exam.

The COS-C exam does not require the tester to assign ICD-10-CM codes to any diagnosis. Potential questions on the exam would be limited to the knowledge necessary to complete the diagnosis related items of OASIS accurately which is found in Chapter 3 of the OASIS Guidance Manual and the related Q&As.

To protect the integrity of the exam, there are no complimentary retake options.

You can travel to another Blueprint for OASIS Accuracy class location and take a Pencil/Paper exam ($200 renewal / $250 initial candidates). Computer-based testing (CBT) is always an option as well. The exam can be taken at one of the many H&R Block testing centers around the country, on a day that is convenient for you. The CBT will cost you $95 more than a Pencil & Paper exam.

Exam registration fees are non-refundable but we will issue you a credit for the full amount of your exam fees. There is no refund or credit for No Shows.  If OAI is notified of a candidate's inability to sit for a live paper & pencil exam PRIOR to the testing date, the candidate can transfer exam registration to another candidate within the same company for no additional fee or candidate can use credit amount for future exam or OAI products. Credit is valid for 12 months.

For Computer Based Testing: Candidate has 12 months from the date of registration to schedule and sit for the COS-C Exam through PSI/AMP. Candidate will schedule a testing date directly with PSI/AMP. Candidate may reschedule test date once without penalty (must be at least 4 days prior to scheduled testing date). Failure to keep the second scheduled testing date will result in forfeit of exam registration fee. If testing appointment is cancelled within 4 days of the scheduled test date, candidate may reschedule with a $75 administrative fee.

Due to contractual changes, as of Thursday, September 15th, 2016, the OASIS Q&A Help Desk previously accessed at CMSOASISquestions@oasisanswers.com became inactive.  Questions related to OASIS data collection may be forwarded to the state OASIS Education Coordinators (OECs).  A list of OECs by state can be found at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/OASIS/EducationCoord.html   

Questions related to home health quality initiatives, including the home health quality measures, public reporting, IMPACT Act measures, and Quality of Patient Care Star Ratings may be forwarded to homehealthqualityquestions@cms.hhs.gov

OASIS Answers, Inc. is under contract to manage the national HQRP/HIS help desk for CMS. Please submit your question directly to HospiceQualityQuestions@cms.hhs.gov to allow us to process an authoritative response for you. If you are interested in formal HIS training, please consider attending our Simplifying HIS - Hospice Item Set Training.

Coding questions can be submitted directly to www.ahacentraloffice.org.  You will be required to register but submitting a question is free.  Answer time can vary but please expect at least a week for a response from the Coding Clinic.

Only a limited number of ports are reserved per teleconference and that reservation is based on customer registrations. When you or your agency purchase LIVE participation, you are purchasing a single dial-in port on the teleconference. This means that you may dial in from a single location for the duration of the call. You can, for instance, have as many people as you wish around a conference table or in a meeting room as long as there’s just the one dial-in connection being made. If you have many different locations or if you have people who work from home or alternate areas it may be a better fit to purchase the AUDIO RECORDING of the teleconference which can be shared with as many individuals at an agency as necessary. Please be aware that the dial-in data from each teleconference is matched to the purchases made of the LIVE teleconference and if it is found that an agency has dialed in from multiple locations, having purchased only a single port, you will be invoiced for the additional ports at the regular $199 per port charge.

We contract to have the audio of our teleconferences delivered within 24 hours of the call’s conclusion. We send out a link to the audio file and all associated handouts as soon as the audio file arrives. So you should be able to print your handouts and begin listening to the update before close of business the day following the call.

The AUDIO RECORDING is generally a very large MP3 file, normally around 10-13 Mb in size. Usually within 24 hours from the conclusion of the LIVE call, we send out a link to a controlled website where you can download the audio recording for a limited time period. The date the file will be removed from the folder is clearly indicated in the email containing the access links.

The audio file IS large and can cause delivery issues. If you are having problems accessing the files, please contact our office at 425-868-2304 or send an email to karen.michael@oasisanswers.com. We can typically share a link and then you can download at will.  Occasionally, clients will need to access the file from a personal computer (not behind an office firewall).

First, please call the office at 425-868-2304 to verify that your email address is correct in our files. Our process includes providing teleconference clients with sign-in credentials (for LIVE participation) along with a link to the handouts.  You will need to download the documents for your use during the LIVE call.

Please call the office at 425-868-2304 and we will verify your email and order information.

You can call or email us to express your initial interest in private training.  We will then do a basic screening, review costs, responsibilities and typically ask the following questions:

• What type of training are you interested in (OASIS, Hospice, Star Rating etc)?
• In what city would the class be held? 
• How many people are you thinking of training?
• What is your time frame for holding the training?
• What is the name and contact information for the program coordinator for your group?
• Who would sign the contract and what is their contact information?
• Do you have a venue in mind?

We would then compare calendars and select a couple of acceptable dates.  Once dates are confirmed, a contract would be signed and then program materials would be shared.

If your agency sends five or more people to a single workshop, you are eligible for a 10% discount from the current rate per person. If your organization is sending 11 or more people, the discount increases to 20% off the current rate per person. To register with this volume discount, please contact our office at 425-868-2304 and we’d be happy to help get everyone registered. This discount applies to the Annual COS-C Conference, Blueprint (OASIS) and Hospice Item Set (HIS) workshops.

If it is more than 30 days prior to the workshop date, we can issue a refund to the original payment source, minus a 10% fee. Unfortunately, there are no refunds on workshop fees if it is within 30 days of the workshop start date. We would be happy to issue a credit though, minus a $150 administrative fee, to your account. With a written request, we can transfer your registration to another OAI-sponsored program, which also incurs a $150 administrative fee.

The credit is good for 12 months from the original event date and can be used on any product, workshop, teleconference or exam listed in our web store. Remember that you can send a colleague from your agency/company in your place without incurring any fees.  

You are welcome to register for a future workshop and we would look forward to seeing you there. Unfortunately, if we weren’t notified prior to the workshop start date that you would not be attending, no credit for that registration can be extended to you.

The Blueprint class is not a beginner’s course but no true “beginner” course is offered.  To be able to understand the course materials, you should familiarize yourself ahead of time.  Review the items under "OASIS Resources" on our website.  Especially focus on the Guidance Manual, Chapter 3 and all of the Q&A’s.   

The Blueprint for OASIS Accuracy workshops are for anyone who deals with OASIS in the home health industry.  The Continuing Education credits that we issue are NURSING CE's.

You are welcome to pay by check.  Please make sure that your check is accompanied by the appropriate product, workshop or exam order form.  After we receive your check and form, we will confirm your purchase via email.

Mail your check and order form to:

OASIS Answers, Inc.

PO Box 2768

Redmond, WA 98073

Our books are printed in the quantity needed for each class with just a few extras to accommodate any on-site registrants.  The best way to purchase an extra workbook is to buy one at the class if extras are available.  Workbooks are sold for $40 and your presenter can take your payment in cash, check or credit card.  On occasion, we may have extra workbooks at the home office.  Please call 425-868-2304 to inquire.