What’s happening: CHA submitted comments in support of an interim final rule that eliminates the low wage index policy and associated budget neutrality adjustment for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025.
What else to know: The rule was issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) decision in Bridgeport Hospital, et al., v. Becerra.
CHA has long contended that the policy violates the Medicare statute. In the letter, CHA urges CMS to clarify that the low wage index policy is eliminated in future years.
CHA continues to support a legal challenge to the Medicare area wage index (AWI) policies CMS adopted in its FFY 2020 inpatient prospective payment system final rule. Members can view updates on CHA’s AWI litigation web page.
