On January 31, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the revised Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2020 Public Use File (PUF). If your hospital requested any changes to the wage index or occupational mix survey data prior to the September 4, 2018 deadline, this file should include revisions your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) approved. We recommend you review the data to verify all changes have been made. If any errors are noted, you are allowed to submit requests for revisions by February 15, 2019. All changes will become effective on October 1, 2019.
As the FFY 2020 wage index review window wraps up, it is important to start planning for the FFY 2021 wage index reviews. The FFY 2021 wage index review will be based on the Medicare cost report data beginning in FFY 2017 (cost reports beginning between 10/01/2016 and 09/30/2017) and will be used to calculate FFY 2021 reimbursement for diagnosis-related group (DRG) and ambulatory payment classification (APC) reimbursement.
Our Wage Index team has significant experience and can help answer questions about how CMS uses the Wage Index Survey and how it impacts Medicare reimbursement. We can help ensure you are in compliance with CMS regulations and work with your Hospital to appropriately capture all the information required. Some of the areas we focus on during our reviews include:
- Contract Labor
- Allocations of Wage-Related Costs
- Paid Hours
We can also help identify opportunities and develop future strategies relative to the Wage Index Survey. Please contact one of the following people if you would like more information:
Carolyn Chaplin (cchaplin@blueandco.com)
Kyle Smith (kcsmith@blueandco.com)
