Effective Date : June 9, 2008

Section 304 (c) of Public Law 106-554 amended Section 1886(d)(3)(E) of the Act requiring The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to collect data at least every three years on the occupational mix of employees for each short-term, acute care hospital participating in the Medicare program, in order to construct an occupational mix adjustment to the wage index, beginning October 1, 2004.

CMS collects data for the occupational mix adjustment on the Medicare Wage Index Occupational Mix Survey, Form CMS-10079. Data from the 2006 update (CR 3043) were used to calculate the FYs 2007, 2008, and 2009 wage index. In order to comply with the statutory requirement, we are administering a new survey, the 2007-2008 update, to be used in computing the wage index beginning with FY 2010.

On February 2, 2007, CMS published a notice of intent with comment regarding a new occupational mix survey (72 FR 5055). This new survey is the 2007-2008 Medicare Occupational Mix Survey (Form CMS-10079 (2008)). The final notice with comment was published on September 14, 2007 (72 FR 52568). The 2007-2008 survey provides for the collection of hospital-specific wages and hours data for a one-year prospective reporting period (that is, from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008), additional clarifications to the survey instructions, the elimination of the RN subcategories, some refinements to the definitions for the occupational categories, and the inclusion of additional cost centers that typically provide nursing services. The survey and supporting documentation can be accessed through CMS’s Web site at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PaperWorkReductionActof1995

The Office of Management and Budget approved the survey on February 1, 2008 (OMB Control Number: 0938-0907).

CMS Pub. 100- 20, Transmittal# 339, Change Request# 5992

Click here to view form CMS-10079 (2008)