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Health Care

Service Spotlight: Hospital Wage Index

DRG and APC payments are driven by the hospital wage index, so it is important to make sure that a hospital’s wage index is as complete as possible and in compliance with regulations.  

Many hospitals do not have the professional staff needed to complete the wage index accurately and to respond to documentation requests.  If your facility falls into this category, Moss Adams can help you:

  • Reflect your actual labor-related costs in the wage indices used to set rates for the labor part of the prospective payments.
  • Ensure that the wage index costs capture all costs for contract labor, including physicians' and related hours.
  • Include all costs considered as payroll and benefit costs.
  • Verify paid hours are reported accurately.
  • Create the occupational mix surveys your hospital submits to its fiscal intermediary.
  • Analyze how your hospital's occupational mix and those of the other hospitals in your area impact your own wage index.
  • Determine whether your hospital is eligible for reclassification to receive the wage index of a higher labor market, thus taking advantage of a higher wage index.
  • Establish whether your hospital qualifies for its own wage index rather than the wage index for that area.

To learn more about how we can assist your organization, contact Cheryl Storey at 503-478-2132 or Susan Ruchin at 425-303-3133.

Other service spotlights

Health Care Contacts

Arizona

Tony Maki

480-444-3424

New Mexico

Brandon Fryar

505-830-6200

Northern California

Marci Pierce

415-677-8205

Oregon/Southwest Washington

Tony Andrade

503-228-7929

Southern California

DeVon Wiens

949-221-4000

Washington

Don Hansen

425-259-7227

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