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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
CMS issued Transmittal 18 to the 2552-10 on December 29th, 2022. Transmittal 18 has been issued with an effective date of Cost Reporting Periods Beginning on or After October 1, 2022 and implements many of the changes proposed through the PRA process including:
- Addition of Exhibits for reporting:
- Medicare bad debt by beneficiary,
- Medicaid Eligible Day for DSH Eligible Hospitals,
- Charity care charges by patient.
- Total bad debts by patient.
- Identification of permanent adjustments to the TEFRA target amount per discharge.
- Identification of providers purchasing greater than fifty percent of its professional services from an unrelated organization located outside the main hospital’s local area labor market.
- Identification of the number of temporary expansion COVID-19 public health emergency acute care beds.
- Revisions to Worksheet S-10.
- Addition of Worksheet D-6 Parts I through IV to compute allogeneic HSCT acquisition costs as required under §1886(d)(5)(M) of the Social Security Act and in accordance with the statutory requirement under Section 108 of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub. L. 116-94) for reasonable cost payment.
- Addition of Worksheet E-5 for the contractor to report the outlier reconciliation amount during cost report tentative settlement.
This Transmittal also implements FY 2023 IPPS final rule changes including DGME changes in regards to the Hershey litigation effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2022. With revisions to Worksheet E-4 and the addition of Worksheet S-2, Part I, Line 68 to identify cost reports for periods beginning prior to October 1, 2022, that are eligible for the modified method of calculating direct GME payments to a teaching hospital when the hospital’s weighted FTE counts exceed their direct GME FTE cap in accordance with the FY 2023 IPPS final rule
Other Worksheet E-4 changes have been made to implement Sections 126, 127 and 131 of the CAA 2021.
This Transmittal also implements changes relating to the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) model. The CHART model is effective for discharges ending on or after January 1, 2024, for inpatient services, outpatient services, and CAH swing-bed services.
Other changes include the extension of the low volume adjustment and the Medicare Dependent Hospital (MDH) program, but these changes are subject to subsequent Law provisions.
HFS is evaluating all finalized changes and will be working with CMS to implement and receive approval of the changes within the software.
CMS Published Transmittal 18 at the below link to the CMS website:
https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Transmittals/Transmittals/r18p240i