A Court Decision Could Cut Ballad Health’s Medicare Payments By Roughly 18 Million Dollars Annually. Since A “Medicare Wage Index” Boost In 2019, The Health System’s Labor Costs Have Increased 14-Percent. The Index Traditionally Was Calculated Based On Surveys Of How Much Hospitals Pay, With The Higher-Paying Hospitals Receiving Larger Medicare Reimbursements. Several Hospitals In New York And Boston Filed A Lawsuit Against The Centers For Medicaid And Medicare Services Several Years Ago And The Court Just Ruled Against The Agency. This Decision Could Be Appealed. Ballad Has The Country’s Second-Lowest Wage Index.