Affordability, Drug Pricing in Focus at Key AHA Meeting
Discussions at this week’s American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board 9 meeting will delve into several timely and weighty issues for hospitals in California and nationwide.
CEO Message
Rural Health in the Spotlight at Annual CHA Symposium
Am looking forward to joining CHA’s annual Rural Health Care Symposium — less than three weeks away — which provides a meaningful opportunity for California’s rural health leaders to connect, share, and learn from one another, key state lawmakers, and policy experts.
Following State Bill Intro Deadline, Focus Remains on Financial Instability
Last Friday marked the deadline to introduce bills for the 2026 state legislative session. While the focus for this year will be on CHA’s two sponsored bills, there are several concerning pieces of legislation that will demand intensive engagement. (All told, about 1,800 bills have been introduced this year.)
Setting the Record Straight on Hospital Pricing
In the perpetual game of whack-a-mole where the aim is to debunk nasty myths about hospitals that keep popping up just about everywhere you look, yet another mole poked out its head last week in CalMatters.
Insurance Companies Play Blame Game, But They Have Much to Answer For
Late last month, the chief executives of some of the nation’s largest insurance companies — UnitedHealth, CVS, Cigna, Elevance, and the California Blues — trekked to Capitol Hill for a day of hearings where federal lawmakers probed one of the most pressing issues of the day: health care affordability.
Federal Spending Deal Includes Key Wins for Hospital Care
Hospitals and health systems are getting some financial relief and operational predictability, thanks to a bipartisan health care spending bill signed by President Trump earlier this week.
Delay in Staffing Policy Prevents Psychiatric Care Crisis
Earlier this week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced it would delay adopting emergency regulations for acute psychiatric hospital staffing until June 1, rather than its original deadline of Jan. 31.
Psychiatric Staffing Ratio Proposal Would Immediately Upend Care
A dangerous and detrimental staffing ratio mandate for freestanding psychiatric hospitals that would make it harder for Californians to get treatment for mental health disorders is careening toward approval.
National News Shines Spotlight on Horrors of Insurance Company Denials
Over the weekend, CBS News aired an important and timely segment examining the challenges millions of Americans face in accessing health care services due to insurance companies denying coverage for necessary tests and treatments.
Positive News and Looming Threats from the Nation’s Capital
Federal lawmakers are back in Washington, D.C., this week with just over three weeks left to finish funding the government before current spending laws run out on Jan. 30.
