Medicare Wage Index

Publications

Listed by publication date. You can also view these publications alphabetically.

2006

Primer on the Occupational Mix Adjustment to the Medicare Hospital Wage Index
Date: 09 / 2006
Author(s): Kristin Reiter, Rebecca Slifkin, Mark Holmes
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Topics: Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index
Report Number: Working Paper No. 86
Focuses on the occupational mix adjustment (OMA) to the labor-related share in the hospital inpatient prospective payment system. The Primer explains what the OMA is, why it is needed and how it has been calculated. In addition, reasons why the effect of the OMA has been less than some rural advocates anticipated are discussed.

2004

Core Based Statistical Areas And The Medicare Wage Index
Date: 02 / 2004
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Topics: Defining rural, Medicare Wage Index
Report Number: Policy Brief
Discusses the potential impact of the 2003 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) statistical area standards on the hospital wage index and Medicare payments to rural providers. Additionally, three other possible options for defining labor markets using the 2003 classifications are presented.
Rural-Urban Issues In The Wage Index Adjustment For Prospective Payment In Skilled Nursing Facilities (Brief Report)
Date: 01 / 2004
Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca Slifkin
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Topics: Long term care, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index
Report Number: Findings Brief
The hourly wage data collected from Medicare-participating nursing homes were used to examine urban and rural patterns in average hourly nursing home wages and patterns of wage variation within the statewide rural labor markets defined by CMS. The data were also used to examine the adequacy of the hospital wage index as an adjuster for skilled nursing facility rates. Working Paper No. 78 also addresses this topic.

2003

Rural-Urban Issues In The Wage Index Adjustment For Prospective Payment In Skilled Nursing Facilities (Full Report)
Date: 11 / 2003
Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca Slifkin
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Topics: Long term care, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index
Report Number: Working Paper No. 78
The hourly wage data collected from Medicare-participating nursing homes were used to examine urban and rural patterns in average hourly nursing home wages and patterns of wage variation within the statewide rural labor markets defined by CMS. The data were also used to examine the adequacy of the hospital wage index as an adjuster for skilled nursing facility rates. A findings brief on this topic is also available.

2001

PPS Inpatient Payment and the Area Wage Index
Date: 01 / 2001
Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca T. Slifkin
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Topics: Hospitals and clinics, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index
Discusses how inpatient rates are calculated, the role of the wage index, and issues surrounding the wage index and reimbursement to rural hospitals by Medicare under the Prospective Payment System (PPS).
Rural Hospital Wages and the Area Wage Index: 1990-1997
Date: 01 / 2001
Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca T. Slifkin, Hilda A. Howard
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Topics: Hospitals and clinics, Medicare Wage Index
Examines whether incremental changes to the hospital wage index have made it more equitable across regions and how these changes have impacted rural hospitals.

2000

Rural Hospital Area Wages and the PPS Wage Index: 1900-1997
Date: 10 / 2000
Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca Slifkin, Hilda Howard
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Topics: Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index
Area Wage Index of the Medicare Inpatient Hospital Prospective Payment System: Perspectives, Policies, and Choices
Date: 08 / 2000
Author(s): Anthony Wellever, Andrew Coburn, Charles Fluharty, J. Patrick Hart, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller, Rebecca Slifkin
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Topics: Health care financing, Legislation and regulation, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index
This Policy Paper summarizes the positions of various rural health advocates and recording the actions taken by Congress and the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to improve the wage index. Finally, it outlines the research needed to energize the policy discussion of the uses and methods of calculating the hospital wage index. Report produced by the RUPRI Rural Health Panel.
Calculating and Using the Area Wage Index of the Medicare Inpatient Hospital Prospective Payment System
Date: 06 / 2000
Author(s): Anthony Wellever
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Topics: Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index
This policy brief explains how the area wage index is calculated and used, and identifies the major unresolved issues related to its calculation and use. Report produced by the RUPRI Rural Health Panel.

Topics Centers Researchers Other Resources Search		Medicare Wage Index Publications Listed by publication date. You can also view these publications alphabetically. 2006 Primer on the Occupational Mix Adjustment to the Medicare Hospital Wage Index Date: 09 / 2006 Author(s): Kristin Reiter, Rebecca Slifkin, Mark Holmes Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Topics: Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index Report Number: Working Paper No. 86 Focuses on the occupational mix adjustment (OMA) to the labor-related share in the hospital inpatient prospective payment system. The Primer explains what the OMA is, why it is needed and how it has been calculated. In addition, reasons why the effect of the OMA has been less than some rural advocates anticipated are discussed. 2004 Core Based Statistical Areas And The Medicare Wage Index Date: 02 / 2004 Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Topics: Defining rural, Medicare Wage Index Report Number: Policy Brief Discusses the potential impact of the 2003 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) statistical area standards on the hospital wage index and Medicare payments to rural providers. Additionally, three other possible options for defining labor markets using the 2003 classifications are presented. Rural-Urban Issues In The Wage Index Adjustment For Prospective Payment In Skilled Nursing Facilities (Brief Report) Date: 01 / 2004 Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca Slifkin Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Topics: Long term care, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index Report Number: Findings Brief The hourly wage data collected from Medicare-participating nursing homes were used to examine urban and rural patterns in average hourly nursing home wages and patterns of wage variation within the statewide rural labor markets defined by CMS. The data were also used to examine the adequacy of the hospital wage index as an adjuster for skilled nursing facility rates. Working Paper No. 78 also addresses this topic. 2003 Rural-Urban Issues In The Wage Index Adjustment For Prospective Payment In Skilled Nursing Facilities (Full Report) Date: 11 / 2003 Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca Slifkin Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Topics: Long term care, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index Report Number: Working Paper No. 78 The hourly wage data collected from Medicare-participating nursing homes were used to examine urban and rural patterns in average hourly nursing home wages and patterns of wage variation within the statewide rural labor markets defined by CMS. The data were also used to examine the adequacy of the hospital wage index as an adjuster for skilled nursing facility rates. A findings brief on this topic is also available. 2001 PPS Inpatient Payment and the Area Wage Index Date: 01 / 2001 Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca T. Slifkin Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Topics: Hospitals and clinics, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index Discusses how inpatient rates are calculated, the role of the wage index, and issues surrounding the wage index and reimbursement to rural hospitals by Medicare under the Prospective Payment System (PPS). Rural Hospital Wages and the Area Wage Index: 1990-1997 Date: 01 / 2001 Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca T. Slifkin, Hilda A. Howard Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Topics: Hospitals and clinics, Medicare Wage Index Examines whether incremental changes to the hospital wage index have made it more equitable across regions and how these changes have impacted rural hospitals. 2000 Rural Hospital Area Wages and the PPS Wage Index: 1900-1997 Date: 10 / 2000 Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca Slifkin, Hilda Howard Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Topics: Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index Area Wage Index of the Medicare Inpatient Hospital Prospective Payment System: Perspectives, Policies, and Choices Date: 08 / 2000 Author(s): Anthony Wellever, Andrew Coburn, Charles Fluharty, J. Patrick Hart, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller, Rebecca Slifkin Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Topics: Health care financing, Legislation and regulation, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index This Policy Paper summarizes the positions of various rural health advocates and recording the actions taken by Congress and the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to improve the wage index. Finally, it outlines the research needed to energize the policy discussion of the uses and methods of calculating the hospital wage index. Report produced by the RUPRI Rural Health Panel. Calculating and Using the Area Wage Index of the Medicare Inpatient Hospital Prospective Payment System Date: 06 / 2000 Author(s): Anthony Wellever Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Topics: Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index This policy brief explains how the area wage index is calculated and used, and identifies the major unresolved issues related to its calculation and use. Report produced by the RUPRI Rural Health Panel. Related Topics These related topics also list publications: Medicare (90 items)

Medicare Wage Index

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2006

2004

2003

2001

2000

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