The question bank addresses regulatory requirements while maintaining a reasonable length of assessment. The question bank is comprised of about 200 questions, depending on skip logic applied to specific responses.
The Assessor will complete the UCA and enter it into the Commonwealth’s EHS-Comprehensive Assessment System (e-CAS) to identify the following.
- Clinical eligibility determination for certain MassHealth programs;
- A level of payment based on care needs. For example, for programs such as Adult Day Health or Adult Foster Care; or
- A rating category for MassHealth One Care and Senior Care Options Health Plans for determining the appropriate capitation payment for a member.
UCA Question Bank
The Uniform Core Assessment (UCA) Question Bank contains ~200 clinical assessment and clinical eligibility criteria questions. A nurse Assessor conducts the UCA in the member’s presence and the online UCA is built with skip logic, so the assessment takes about 60-75 minutes to complete. The responses to these questions are used to document clinical eligibility or rating category for some LTSS programs.
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Open XLSX file, 108.93 KB, UCA Question Bank (English, XLSX 108.93 KB)
UCA User Guide
The Uniform Core Assessment (UCA) User Guide gives detailed guidance to nurse Assessors completing the UCA.
Programs that use the Uniform Core Assessment
Fee-for-service programs that use the UCA include Adult Foster Care, Group Adult Foster Care, and Adult Day Health. Integrated Care programs that use the UCA include SCO, One Care, and PACE.
Training for assessor staff
EOHHS will provide multiple training options for all Assessors who will be completing the UCA. EOHHS has contracted with a vendor to oversee training development and administration. The vendor will have self-service trainings available on a LMS for assessors.
Completing the UCA
The UCA takes approximately 60-75 minutes to complete. It is intended to be completed in person to get the best understanding of the member’s needs.
The UCA only replaces the MDS-HC. All other assessments currently required for your program will still be needed.
| Last updated: | April 2, 2026 |
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