CHA News

CHA Urges OHCA to Adopt One-Year, Modified Target

What’s happening: In its formal comment letter submitted earlier this week to the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA), CHA urged the office to modify its 3%, five-year spending growth target proposal and instead adopt a one-year target that reflects key drivers of health care spending.  

What else to know: OHCA must adopt its final proposal by June 1 — members should continue to engage with the board through public comment at its upcoming meetings; the next opportunity is March 25.  

CHA Unveils Appellate Advocacy Tracker

What’s happening: CHA has released an appellate advocacy tracker that reports CHA’s amicus efforts to provide courts with important factual context and legal analysis, highlighting the ramifications of legal issues for hospitals.  

What else to know: The tracker contains both the links to the amicus documents that CHA files and the outcome of these efforts.  

House Passes First Package to Fund Federal Government, Includes Health Provisions

What’s happening: The U.S. House passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, which will fund a portion of the federal government through the end of the fiscal year. The package includes a group of CHA-supported health care provisions important to hospitals.  

What else to know: Congress has until March 22 to pass a second package to fund the rest of the federal government, including the Department of Health and Human Services.  

Recording of IRF Review Choice Demonstration Webinar Available

What’s happening: In August 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiated the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Review Choice Demonstration (IRF RCD) Program in Alabama. CMS plans to expand the program to several other states, including California.    

What else to know: On Feb. 13, CHA hosted a webinar on the IRF RCD; a recording is now available.  

CMS Issues Enforcement Discretion Guidance for Prior Authorization Standards

What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued enforcement discretion guidance for entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) that are implementing certain prior authorization application programming interfaces (APIs). 

What else to know: This is in response to finalized policies to advance interoperability and electronic prior authorization processes.  

DHCS Releases Distinct-Part Nursing and Subacute Rates

What’s happening: Last week, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) posted updated payment rates for distinct-part nursing facilities (DP-NF) and distinct-part subacute facilities (DP-SA) for adults and pediatrics.   

What else to know: Now that DP-NF and DP-SA services have been fully carved into Medi-Cal managed care plans’ (MCPs) scope of benefits, DHCS has implemented a policy that transitions the DP-NF and DP-SA rate year to a calendar year to align with the Medi-Cal managed care rate year.   

DHCS Issues Private Hospital Supplemental Funds Round B Payments

What’s happening: Over the past two weeks, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) issued Private Hospital Supplemental Fund Round B payments to hospitals eligible for the program in fiscal year 2023-24.   

What else to know: This round of payments to the approximately 90 eligible hospitals totaled roughly $60 million.   

CHA Encourages Members to Participate in the Vitality Index Payer Scorecard

What’s happening: CHA is endorsing member participation in the Vitality Index Payer Scorecard, which will provide critical information to support CHA’s advocacy to hold insurers accountable for timely and accurate reimbursement.  

What else to know: The CHA Board of Trustees has endorsed this tool, which will automatically draw de-identified claims and remittance information from hospitals without requiring additional reporting or surveys.