April 29 Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2026 Wage Index

May 5th, 2025 No comments

CMS published a Proposed Rule Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2026 wage Index April 29, 2025. This file reflects the Worksheet S-3, Parts II and III wage data from cost reports for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 (FY Beginning from 10/1/2021 to 9/30/2022).


Hospitals will have approximately 1 month (May 30, 2025) to verify their data and submit correction requests to both CMS and their MAC to correct errors due to CMS or MAC mishandling of the final wage and occupational mix data as posted in the April 29, 2025 PUF.  The PUF is available at the below link:

https://www.hfssoft.com/doc/FY26_april_PUF.20250429.S3_PUF.csv

Jan 31 Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2026 Wage Index

February 7th, 2025 No comments

CMS Published a Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2026 Wage Index January 31, 2025.  This file reflects the Worksheet S-3, Parts II and III wage data from the cost reports for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY Beginning 10/1/2021 to 09/30/2022).

The following file has been created and can be downloaded and used with the Wage Index Verification Tool for the Federal Fiscal Year 2026, PUF.  Note, February 18, 2025 is the deadline for hospitals to submit requests (including supporting documentation) for: 1) corrections to errors in the January PUFs (wage index S-3 wage index and occupational mix) due to CMS or MAC mishandling of the wage index data, or 2) revisions of desk review adjustments to their wage index data and occupational mix data as included in the January PUFs (and to provide documentation to support the request). MACs must receive the requests and supporting documentation by this date.

https://www.hfssoft.com/doc/FY26_Jan_PUF.20250131.S3_PUF.csv

Categories: Wage Index PUF Files Tags:

May 23 Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2026 Wage Index

June 5th, 2024 No comments

CMS published a Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2026 wage Index May 23, 2024. This file reflects the Worksheet S-3, Parts II and III wage data from cost reports for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 (FY Beginning from 10/1/21 to 9/30/2022).
The following file has been created and can be downloaded and used with the Wage Index Verification Tool for the Federal Fiscal Year 2026, PUF. Note, September 3, 2024, is the deadline for hospitals to submit requests (including supporting documentation to support the request).

May 23 Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2026 Wage Index


April 29 Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2025 Wage Index

May 7th, 2024 No comments

CMS published a Proposed Rule Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2025 wage Index April 29, 2024. This file reflects the Worksheet S-3, Parts II and III wage data from cost reports for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 (FY Beginning from 10/1/20 to 9/30/2021).


Hospitals will have approximately 1 month (May 29, 2024) to verify their data and submit correction requests to both CMS and their MAC to correct errors due to CMS or MAC mishandling of the final wage and occupational mix data as posted in the April 29, 2024 PUF.  The PUF is available at the below link:

PUF: https://www.hfssoft.com/doc/FY25_April_PUF.20240429.S3_PUF.csv

Categories: Wage Index PUF Files Tags:

January 31 Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2025 Wage Index

February 12th, 2024 No comments

CMS published a Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2025 wage Index January 31, 2024. This file reflects the Worksheet S-3, Parts II and III wage data from cost reports for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 (FY Beginning from 10/1/2020 to 9/30/2021).

The following file has been created and can be downloaded and used with the Wage Index Verification Tool for the Federal Fiscal Year 2025, PUF. Note, February 16, 2024 is the deadline for hospitals to submit requests (including supporting documentation) for: 1) corrections to errors in the January PUFs due to CMS or MAC mishandling of the wage index data, or 2) revisions of desk review adjustments to their wage index data as included in the January PUFs (and to provide documentation to support the request). MACs must receive the requests and supporting documentation by this date.

https://www.hfssoft.com/doc/FY25_Jan_PUF.20240131.S-3 Data PUF.csv

PRA Notice CMS–2540-23 Skilled Nursing Facility and Skilled Nursing Facility Healthcare Complex Cost Report

September 29th, 2023 No comments

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a notice in the Federal Register dated September 27, 2023 regarding a proposed revision to the Skilled Nursing Facility and Skilled Nursing Facility Healthcare Complex Cost Report (proposed Form CMS-2540-23).   Links to the Federal Register notice and PRA posting are below and comments must be received by November 27, 2023.  Instructions for providing comments are included in the Federal Register notice and a summary of the proposed changes is contained in the Supporting Statement contained within the PRA notice.

Federal Register Notice

Published PRA Notice

Electronic Templates for Cost Report Exhibits

September 29th, 2023 No comments
CMS has published and uploaded all final/ready-to-use documentation for the optional electronic specifications and templates to a new info page on CMS.gov: Electronic Cost Report Exhibit Templates  

The published specifications and templates support the Medicare Bad Debt Listing (across the various applicable cost report forms), and the Medicaid Eligible Days (Exhibit 3A , Charity Care Charges (Exhibit 3B), and Total Bad Debt (Exhibit 3C) exhibits for the 2552-10.  

You will note that CMS has published XLSX Exhibit Templates and PDF or DOCX Exhibit specifications.  

If used in conjunction with e-filings in MCReF, providers can receive immediate feedback about potential issues with their listings, along with faster acceptance and tentative settlement. For a brief overview of the templates and their potential use in MCReF, you can also refer to the 3/30/2023 MCReF Webinar which had a section on them starting at slide 10.

April 29 Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2025 Wage Index

July 24th, 2023 No comments

CMS published the Final Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2025 Wage Index and Occupational Mix April 29, 2024. This file reflects the Worksheet S-3, Parts II and III wage data from cost reports for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 (FY Beginning from 10/1/2020 to 9/30/2021).

Hospitals will have approximately 1 month (May 29, 2024) to verify their data and submit correction requests to both CMS and their MAC to correct errors due to CMS or MAC mishandling of the final wage and occupational mix data as posted in the April 29, 2024 PUF.  The PUF is available at the below link:

https://www.hfssoft.com/doc/FY25_May_S3_Preliminary_PUF.20230710.S-3 Data PUF.csv

Categories: Wage Index PUF Files Tags:

Release of Final FY 2024 April Wage Index PUF

May 1st, 2023 No comments

CMS has released the final FY 2024 wage index and occupational mix data PUFs on CMS Web page. Hospitals will have approximately 1 month to verify their data and submit correction requests to both CMS and their MAC to correct errors due to CMS or MAC mishandling of the final wage and occupational mix data. A hospital requesting a correction must submit its request, by email (email only will be permissible), along with complete, appropriate detailed documentation, to both its A/B MACS and CMS, no later than May 26, 2023. The PUF is available at the below link:

https://www.hfssoft.com/doc/FY24_April_PUF.20230428.S-3 Data PUF.csv

Categories: Wage Index PUF Files Tags:

January 30 Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2024 Wage Index

January 31st, 2023 No comments

CMS published a Public Use File (PUF) for the FY 2024 wage Index January 30, 2023. This file reflects the Worksheet S-3, Parts II and III wage data from cost reports for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 (FY Beginning from 10/1/2019 to 9/30/2020).

The following file has been created and can be downloaded and used with the Wage Index Verification Tool for the Federal Fiscal Year 2024, PUF. Note, February 15, 2023 is the deadline for hospitals to submit requests (including supporting documentation) for: 1) corrections to errors in the January PUFs due to CMS or MAC mishandling of the wage index data, or 2) revisions of desk review adjustments to their wage index data as included in the January PUFs (and to provide documentation to support the request). MACs must receive the requests and supporting documentation by this date.

https://www.hfssoft.com/doc/FY24_Jan_PUF.20230130.S-3 Data PUF.csv

Categories: Wage Index PUF Files Tags: