It’s March Madness, and we are not talking about basketball. The clock is ticking on the FY 2027 Medicare Wage Index; this process moves quickly, and missing a deadline can have long-term reimbursement implications.
February 17, 2026
Hospitals were required to submit:
- Requests for corrections to errors identified in the preliminary PUF – this included wage index S-3 data and occupational mix
- Requests for revisions to any adjustments proposed by the MAC
This deadline marked the hospital’s key opportunity to address data inaccuracies and disagreements with adjustments before the MAC review was finalized.
March 20, 2026
MAC’s must provide written notification to hospitals regarding the status of their revisions or appeals. You can always reach out to your MAC in advance to get more information.
April 3, 2026
Deadline for hospitals to appeal to CMS and request intervention in cases where there is continued disagreement with the MAC.
Important notes:
- Appeals must be submitted through MEARIS (Medicare Electronic Application Request Information System at https://mearis.cms.gov.
- Provide all supporting documentation at the time of filing
- Hospitals disputing data corrections made by CMS after the January PUF was released must also submit those appeals and documentation via MEARIS
April/May 2026
CMS is expected to release the FY 2027 Proposed Rule Wage Index PUF via CMS’s website.
- Hospitals should note that the proposed rule will not reflect the updated wage index data that was received after the preliminary PUF in January.
Contact An Expert Today
Austin Fisher, CPA, Senior Manager
