Date: July 13, 2017

To: All PPS Hospitals

From: Ellen Corwin, Director

Subject: Availability of the FY 2019 Preliminary Occupational Mix Public Use Files (PUF), based on CY pay period data and FY 2019 Wage Index Development Timetable

Availability and Revisions to Occupational Mix and Wage Index PUF

This message serves to notify you that on Wednesday, July 12, 2017, CMS has posted the FY 2019 Preliminary Occupational Mix PUF based on CY 2016 pay period data.  You can find this PUF on CMS's website at:

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/AcuteInpatientPPS/Wage-Index-Files-Items/FY-2019-Wage-Index-Home-Page.html

In late May 2017, you received a letter from your MAC alerting you of the posting of the FY 2019 Preliminary Wage Data PUF and of the upcoming posting of the FY 2019 Preliminary Occupational Mix survey data.  In that letter, it stated that as the attached FY 2019 Hospital Wage Index Development Timetable indicates, all requests from hospitals for changes to their FY 2019 wage index and occupational mix data must be submitted to and received by their MACs by September 1, 2017. A hospital that wishes to revise its data must submit its request along with complete, appropriate, detailed supporting documentation to its MAC. Requests postmarked by the September 1, 2017 deadline, but not received until after the deadline, will not be accepted.

Providers that have not submitted their 2016 Occupational Mix survey by September 6, 2017 will be contacted by the MAC and instructed to submit their 2016 Occupational Mix survey (along with complete documentation) by September 15, 2017.

Requests for revisions to the occupational mix and wage index data should be submitted to JE-Reimb@noridian.com.  If you have any questions, please contact Barbara Miers at 651-994-3907 or Barbara.miers@noridian.com.

ATTACHMENT: FY 2019 Wage Index Development Timetable