What’s happening: On April 6, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a hearing to continue its overview of the state’s budget condition and impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
What’s happening: Yesterday, CHA issued an alert asking members to write to the Senate and Budget Committee chairs and support the request for a one-time appropriation of $300 million for the Distressed Hospital Loan Program, as well as statutory changes to advance the program.
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: Last week, the Emergency Medical Services Authority re-released two regulatory packages: Chapter 6 Specialty Designation Regulations (trauma, STEMI/stroke, emergency medical services care for children) and Assembly Bill (AB) AB 40 Regulations (ambulance patient offload times).
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has issued a request for information that seeks to collect input from stakeholders and shape DHCS’ comprehensive “Hospital Value Strategy.” The RFI deadline is April 17.
What’s happening: Last week, Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) announced it had submitted over 1 million signatures in support of the Health Care Endangerment Act . The initiative filed by the union would arbitrarily cap the earnings of health care professionals — forcing quality doctors, nurses, and health care leaders out of California.
What’s happening: CHA has filed an amicus brief (friend of the court) in a lawsuit involving a member of the medical staff at Hoag Memorial Hospital. The case involved allegations of misconduct by a physician at his private office and at home, not at the hospital. Although the physician had clinical privileges at the hospital, under California law, he was not employed by Hoag.
Earlier this week, CHA sent a pointed letter to the president of Anthem Blue Cross of California, calling out the insurance behemoth’s new multistate payment policy — an unjust and harmful practice that will penalize California hospitals for providing care to patients involving non-participating physicians or providers.