SNF PEPPER Reports Available for Download

The fourth quarter fiscal year 2013 (Q4FY13) release of the new Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER), with statistics through September 2013, is now available for download through the Secure PEPPER Access page.

To obtain your SNF's PEPPER, the Chief Executive Officer, President or Administrator of your SNF should:

1. Review the Secure PEPPER Access Guide.
2. Visit the Secure PEPPER Access page at PEPPERresources.org.
3. Review the instructions and obtain the information required to authenticate access.
4. Click on the button to Access the Secure Portal.
5. Complete all the fields.
6. Download your PEPPER through the Secure PEPPER Access page.

The SNF PEPPER will be available to download as a Microsoft Excel file for approximately one year. The previous Q4FY12 SNF PEPPER, originally released in August 2013, will be made available via the Secure PEPPER Portal in the summer of 2014; an email notification will be sent when these PEPPERs are available.

New for this release in the SNF PEPPER: The "State" comparison group now includes all SNFs in a state. Previously, the "State" comparison group included all SNFs in a state that were in the same MAC jurisdiction. As a result, state percentiles will be available for most SNFs; state percentiles will differ from the previous PEPPER release.

For more information, visit the SNF Training and Resources section of PEPPERresources.org.

About PEPPER

PEPPER is an educational tool that summarizes provider-specific data statistics for Medicare services that may be at risk for improper payments. Providers can use the data to support internal auditing and monitoring activities. Visit PEPPERresources.org to access resources for using PEPPER, including recorded web-based training sessions, a sample SNF PEPPER and the current SNF PEPPER User's Guide, which are available on the SNF "Training and Resources" page. PEPPER is distributed by TMF® Health Quality Institute under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

If you have questions or comments about PEPPER or need help obtaining your report, visit the PEPPER Help Desk to request assistance. You can also provide your feedback or suggestions regarding PEPPER through the PEPPER feedback form.

Contact: Kathy Pellatt; kpellatt@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8848