Nursing Home Minimum Wage Survey Due Feb. 4th
The Department of Health (DOH) has posted a survey to collect data that will be used to reconcile 2017 minimum wage funding. Submitted data of actual need will be compared to prior survey data indicating projected need. The survey must be completed and submitted along with an attestation by close of business on Mon., Feb. 4th. As part of the process, homes are required to complete and upload an Excel-based Minimum Wage Cost Calculation Supplement. Please note that ALL homes, whether impacted by minimum wage or not, are required to complete and submit the survey and attestation, but only homes receiving or requesting funding are required to upload the Calculation Supplement. As with prior minimum wage surveys, providers are required to report paid hours by wage band. Adult day health care (ADHC) and specialty employees should be included. Homes receiving minimum wage funding will see it indicated as a per-day amount on line 13 of page 1 of the nursing home rate sheet. Note that this funding can only be used to increase wages that are below minimum wage to the new minimum wage level and to pay for any accompanying wage-sensitive benefit cost increases.
Contracted hours are limited to those where the home can produce payroll records (not agency bills) in order to support the reimbursement of how minimum wage funds were spent, and/or for an external auditor. Please include in the count of hours all direct contract staff for which your home can produce a payroll record.
The Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) explaining the survey is available here, and the DOH notice is copied below. The survey is accessible here. Questions should be addressed to nfrates@health.ny.gov with “Minimum Wage Reconciliation” in the subject line.
LeadingAge NY Contact: Darius Kirstein, dkirstein@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8841
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DOH Notice:
Dear Administrator:
Attached, please find a Dear Administrator Letter that requests information from your facility regarding the State’s Minimum Wage increase from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017.
Please complete the required reconciliation document and attestation found at https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4763813/5430138bda6e using actual total annual minimum wage increases paid by your facility for the calendar year 2017. The Department has posted to the Healthcare Finance Data Gateway the calculation of the minimum wage survey results (or cost report calculation, if applicable). The reconciliation document and attestation are due by COB Monday, February 4, 2019. The survey and attestation is required for all health care providers even if not impacted by minimum wage. If the facility previously received minimum wage funding and fails to complete the reconciliation document and attestation, the minimum wage funding will be removed from the Medicaid rate which will result in in no minimum wage reimbursement for 2017.
If you have questions regarding the Minimum Wage Reconciliation document please send an email with “Minimum Wage Reconciliation” in the subject line to nfrates@health.ny.gov and Jada Eberle will respond to your inquiry.