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: Recognizing that some hospital leaders have expressed interest in the concept of freestanding emergency departments (EDs) — which are not currently permitted in California — CHA has developed a document that outlines the current regulatory landscape and key considerations for this type of service model.
What’s happening: Last week, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) submitted its revised Hospital Fee Program tax model for calendar year 2025 (Program 9) to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
What’s happening: At its February meeting, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved the adoption of the California Greenhouse Gas Reporting and Climate Financial Risk Disclosure Initial Regulation, an initial step in meeting the regulatory requirements of Senate Bills (SB) 253 and 261.
What’s happening: Hospital quality leaders have until March 27 to register for Cal HQ’s in-person kickoff meeting, to be held April 14 in Long Beach and April 30 in Sacramento.
What’s happening: The Advisory Group for the Future of Medi-Cal Commission held its second meeting on March 3. The group met to review and provide feedback on draft priorities that will help shape the commission’s recommendations for the long-term direction of California’s Medicaid program.
What’s happening: The American Hospital Association (AHA) invites member organizations to apply for the 2027 Foster G. McGaw Prize, which honors health care organizations that demonstrate alignment between community health needs and co-designed programs.
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: In a critical period for this year’s ballot initiatives, hospitals are encouraged to join coalitions supporting CHA’s Health Care Worker Right to Vote initiative and opposing the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West’s (SEIU-UHW's) compensation cap and clinic funding initiatives.