What’s happening: Today, CHA submitted a letter to the Office of Health Care Affordability board urging it to account for all health care workers — not just those covered by collective bargaining agreements — in setting and adjusting the spending targets, or risk undermining broader workforce stability.
A recent commentary from an academic whose primary source of funding is a national profit-focused insurance company takes unjust aim at hospitals and the vital care they provide to Californians throughout the state. In a piece published last week in CalMatters, “Bitter medicine: How California’s hospital bills end up depressing your take-home pay,” Glenn Melnick, the Blue Cross of California chair of healthcare finance and director […]
“California hospitals will be facing severe funding losses.”
“If hospitals are starved for the funds they require to operate, they will be forced to cut back on services.”
“OHCA’s actions threaten the viability of the entire health care delivery system.”
These quotes from CHA’s latest legal filing in our lawsuit against the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) underscore what’s at stake for hospitals across California.
What’s happening: On March 20, CHA participated in a health care roundtable hosted by Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D‑Carlsbad) and Scripps Health. The event, which was held at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, brought together California lawmakers and health care leaders from the San Diego region to discuss key issues hospitals are facing.
What’s happening: The Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) board met on March 25, where it pushed the office to create a process to revise “high-cost” hospital determinations if based on faulty data. The board also deliberated over the process for providers to obtain adjustments to their spending targets related to the growth in non-supervisory organized labor costs.
What’s happening: Today, CHA submitted a letter to the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) board, urging it to clearly articulate in regulation additional considerations that could justify an organization exceeding the spending growth cap — like investments in patient-centered care, baseline financial conditions, payer mix, and macroeconomic trends.
What’s happening: On Wednesday, the Assembly and Senate Health Committees convened a joint hearing intended to focus on the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) on California’s health care system, rising costs, coverage losses, and potential state-level responses.
What’s happening: This week, the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) held its inaugural patient and consumer forum, providing an opportunity for staff to directly engage with patients, consumers, and advocates.
What’s happening: On Tuesday, a San Francisco County Superior Court judge ruled that CHA has not yet demonstrated that it has standing to pursue its claim that policies implemented by the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) are jeopardizing access to and the quality of lifesaving health care, in violation of state law.
What’s happening: Ahead of its next board meeting on March 25, the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) continues to seek presentations from health care providers on strategies that have successfully reduced health care spending while promoting good health outcomes. To date, the board has heard from seven health care entities about their cost-reducing strategies.