CMS Approves Medi-Cal Managed Care ‘Bridge Period’ Rates
On Feb. 28, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved the Medi-Cal managed care rates for July 1, 2019-Dec. 31, 2020, often referred to as the “Bridge Period.”
Coco Baker
DHCS Releases Private Hospital Directed Payment Encounter Files
On March 10, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) uploaded three new hospital-directed payment encounter files, available via the Secure File Transfer Protocol site. It is important for hospitals to download these files as soon as possible as the site is only intended for file transfers, not ongoing storage, and uploaded files will be deleted […]
CMS Issues New QAPI Interpretive Guidelines
On March 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new interpretive guidelines that explain what hospitals must do to comply with the Condition of Participation for Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI). The interpretive guidelines are written by CMS headquarters and sent to all state agency surveyors to help them understand how […]
Office of Health Care Affordability Accepting Applications for Advisory Committee
The Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA), which recently announced its eight board members, has opened the application process to serve on the advisory committee. The advisory committee must meet at least four times per year and be consulted before key OHCA decisions are made. For example, the advisory committee will provide input on setting […]
Rural Health Care Symposium Pre-Conference Workshop Designed to Help Governance Boards
CHA’s Rural Health Care Symposium features an April 10 pre-conference workshop on making governance boards of rural hospitals more effective in turbulent times. Karma Bass, principal of Via HealthCare Consulting, will host the workshop, which will focus solely on helping to align rural hospital governance boards, medical staff, and the executive team to be more successful. […]
CDPH Updates COVID-19 Health Orders, Guidance
On March 3, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced updates to several state public health officer orders and other guidance, including those related to COVID-19 vaccination, masking, isolation, and quarantine. The updates include: If you have questions on the CDPH-related updates, please contact CHA’s Trina A. Gonzalez, or Lois Richardson. For guidance on […]
CHA Letter Asks HHS Secretary to Address Unfair Payment Practices
CHA has sent a letter to Mark Ghaly, MD, secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency, asking him to direct the state’s health plan regulators to take immediate action to address the plans’ unfair payment practices.
CHPSO Hosting Three Webinars During Patient Safety Awareness Week
During Patient Safety Awareness Week, which is recognized March 12-18, the Hospital Quality Institute and Collaborative Healthcare Patient Safety Organization will host three webinars that offer best practices on how to keep patients safe.
CDPH and HCAI Commit to Quick Turnaround for Space Waiver Requests
In anticipation of the Feb. 28 termination of the state of emergency, and in recognition of hospitals’ high patient census, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) have committed to quickly acting upon hospitals’ requests for the continuation of space waivers. CDPH has developed a […]
Medical Board Updates Required ‘Notice to Consumers’ Signage
The Medical Board of California (MBC) has updated its required “Notice to Consumers” signage — effective Jan. 1 — for physicians, research psychoanalysts, licensed midwives, and polysomnographic technologists, technicians, and trainees.