Average reductions will vary from state to state
September 1, 2008 less than 1 minute read
Average reductions will vary from state to state
Know how your county will be affected beforehand
Although the proposed wage index reductions by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will vary from county to county and state to state, hospice experts agree that all hospices will be affected.
Indiana will see an average reduction of 6.27%, New York will see an average reduction of 6.15%, and California will see an average reduction of 3.44%, points out Judi Lund Person, MPH, vice president for regulatory affairs and state relations for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. (Editor's note: To see a copy of the proposed rule with wage index rates for FY 2009, go to edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/08-1198.htm.)
Alaska actually sees a 5% increase, but increases are rare, she points out. The wage index is set county by county, with urban areas generally receiving a higher level of reimbursement and rural counties receiving less, Lund Person explains. "Of the 3,001 counties identified in the CMS database, 93.2% will receive a 1% or higher reduction," she says. About 5% will see no change in their wage index, Lund Person reports.
Although the proposed wage index reductions by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will vary from county to county and state to state, hospice experts agree that all hospices will be affected.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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