§ 412.79 Determination of the hospital-specific rate for inpatient operating costs for Medicare-dependent, small rural hospitals based on a Federal fiscal year 2002 base period.

(a) Base-period costs—(1) General rule. Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, for each MDH, the intermediary determines the MDH's Medicare Part A allowable inpatient operating costs, as described in § 412.2(c), for the 12-month or longer cost reporting period beginning on or after October 1, 2001, and before October 1, 2002.

(2) Exceptions. (i) If the MDH's last cost reporting period beginning before October 1, 2002, is for less than 12 months, the base period is the MDH's most recent 12-month or longer cost reporting period beginning before that short cost reporting period.

(ii) If the MDH does not have a cost reporting period beginning on or after October 1, 2001, and before October 1, 2002, and does have a cost reporting period beginning on or after October 1, 2000, and before October 1, 2001, that cost reporting period is the base period unless the cost reporting is for less than 12 months. In that case, the base period is the MDH's most recent 12-month or longer cost reporting period beginning before that short cost reporting period.

(b) Costs on a per discharge basis. The intermediary determines the MDH's average base-period operating cost per discharge by dividing the total operating costs by the number of discharges in the base period. For purposes of this section, a transfer as described in § 412.4(b) is considered to be a discharge.