Medicare Wage Index Trends in Rural and Urban Hospitals Before and During the Low Wage Index Policy, 2018–2022
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Description
Provides an overview of the wage index and its role in hospital reimbursement and financial stability. Describes the pattern of wage index values for rural and urban prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals from 2018 to 2022. Explores the impact of the low-wage index policy (LWIP), which was implemented in fiscal year 2020, and the potential implications of its discontinuation in fiscal year 2025.
Author(s)
Saleema Karim, George Pink, Kristie Thompson, Mark Holmes
Date
04/2026
Organization
North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
Tagged as
Hospitals
· Medicare
· Policy
· Reimbursement and payment models
· Rural-urban differences
· Statistics and data