PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island will receive approximately $26 million in additional federal Medicare payments following the renewal of the “wage index” adjustment by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Sens Jack F. Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Reps. James R. Langevin and David N. Cicilline announced Friday.
The money will be distributed among every acute-care hospital in Rhode Island.
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“The extension of this Medicare payment policy provides critical payments to Rhode Island hospitals that are working to provide exceptional care for every patient who comes through their doors,” said M. Teresa Paiva Weed, president of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island. “I am grateful to our outstanding congressional delegation and Gov. Gina M. Raimondo for being strong advocates for patients and health care providers in Rhode Island, and to CMS for taking into account all the information we provided the agency. This outcome benefits everyone who uses health care in Rhode Island.”
The wage adjustment is used to reduce the impact of differing labor costs in each state. Since 2012, Rhode Island has been the beneficiary of a “fix,” an alternate wage-index adjustment singular to Rhode Island which was renewed once again this year, accounting for the additional $26 million from the CMS.
“Today’s announcement is a win for Rhode Island patients and hospitals. Extending the wage index helps our hospitals attract and retain top talent, and reduces what would have been a significant financial stress on our health care system,” said Whitehouse. “I’ll continue to work with the rest of Rhode Island’s delegation, the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, and CMS to find a fix that makes sense for Rhode Island and protects jobs in one of the most important sectors of our local economy.”
“I continue to communicate with CMS about how important these adjustments are for our hospitals, and I’m pleased the agency continues to respond to our efforts to ensure Rhode Island’s hospitals are properly reimbursed,” said Reed.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.
