MDS section GG (Functional Abilities and Goals) will replace section G (Functional Status) as a key payment driver for fee-for-service Medicare Part A residents paid under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) when the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) implements on Oct. 1, 2019. Using items from section GG instead of section G “advances CMS’s goal of using more standardized assessment items across payment settings,” said officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services during the Dec. 11, 2018, SNF PPS: PDPM National Provider Call (NPC).