§412.503. Definitions. — Inbound Citations

(B) (1) Described in § 412.23(e)(2)(i) and meets the criteria of § 412.22(f); and

(2) Located in a rural area (as defined at § 412.503) or reclassified as rural by meeting the requirements set forth in § 412.103.

(1) The labor portion of a long-term care hospital's Federal prospective payment is adjusted to account for geographical differences in the area wage levels using an appropriate wage index (established by CMS), which reflects the relative level of hospital wages and wage-related costs in the geographic area (that is, urban or rural area as determined in accordance with the definitions set forth in § 412.503) of the hospital compared to the national average level of hospital wages and wage-related costs.

(B) Beginning in fiscal year 2023, if CMS determines that an LTCH's wage index value for a fiscal year would decrease by more than 5 percent as compared to the LTCH's wage index value for the prior fiscal year, CMS limits the decrease to 5 percent for the fiscal year.

(ii) The labor portion of a long-term care hospital's Federal prospective payment is established by CMS and is updated annually.

(B) (1) Is adjusted for different area wage levels based on the geographic classifications set forth at § 412.503 and the applicable hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) labor-related share, using the applicable hospital inpatient prospective payment system wage index value for nonreclassified hospitals (an LTCH's applicable IPPS wage index).

(2) Beginning in fiscal year 2023, if CMS determines that an LTCH's applicable IPPS wage index value for a fiscal year would decrease by more than 5 percent as compared to the LTCH's applicable IPPS wage index value for the prior fiscal year, CMS limits the decrease to 5 percent for the fiscal year.

(3) For LTCHs located in Alaska and Hawaii, the amount specified in paragraph (d)(4)(ii) of this section is also adjusted by the applicable hospital inpatient prospective payment system cost of living adjustment factors.

(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (c)(3), (g), and (h) of this section, for any cost reporting period beginning on or after October 1, 2004 and before October 1, 2007, and for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2016 in which the long-term care hospital or its satellite facility has a discharged Medicare inpatient population of whom no more than 25 percent were admitted to the hospital or its satellite facility from the co-located hospital, payments are made under the rules at §§ 412.500 through 412.541 with no adjustment under this section.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (c) and (d) and subject to paragraph (f) of this section, for any cost reporting period beginning on or after July 1, 2007 in which a long-term care hospital or long-term care hospital satellite facility has a discharged Medicare inpatient population of whom more than 25 percent were admitted to the long-term care hospital or satellite facility from any individual hospital not co-located with the long-term care hospital or with the satellite of a long-term care hospital, payment for the Medicare discharges who cause the long-term care hospital or satellite facility to exceed the 25 percent threshold for discharged patients who have been admitted from that referring hospital is the lesser of the amount otherwise payable under this subpart or the amount payable under this subpart that is equivalent, as set forth in paragraph (e) of this section, to the amount that would be determined under the rules at subpart A, § 412.1(a). Payments for the remainder of the long-term care hospital's or satellite facility's patients admitted from that referring hospital are made under the rules in this subpart at §§ 412.500 through 412.541 with no adjustment under this section.