What’s happening: A members-only summary, prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., of the finalized provider disincentives for information blocking is available.
What else to know: The rule is effective July 31.
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule on abnormal billing activity within the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
What else to know: The proposed rule seeks to mitigate the impact of the billing activity on reconciliation of accountable care organization (ACO) payments in calendar year (CY) 2023.
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has opened the application period for the Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model aimed at improving maternal health.
What else to know: Applications are due Sept. 20.
What’s happening: CHA will host the members-only Preparing for Extreme Heat and Smoke Impact in Clinical Settings webinar on Aug. 19 at 1 p.m. (PT).
What else to know: The webinar addresses heat-related emergency response plans and protocols and leads into the 2024 Disaster Planning Conference on Sept. 10-11. Registration is open.
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its calendar year (CY) 2025 physician fee schedule (PFS) proposed rule.
What else to know: The proposed CY 2025 PFS conversion factor is $32.36, a decrease of $0.93, or 2.8%, from CY 2024.
What’s happening: In 2018, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) established the Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP) to distribute naloxone — also referred to as “Narcan” — and fentanyl testing strips to key stakeholders free of charge.
What else to know: Hospital emergency departments are among those who can apply online to receive free naloxone and testing strips. Since the program’s inception, hospitals have received 332,000 naloxone testing kits and 188,000 fentanyl testing kits.
What’s happening: The July edition of Quality Quarterly explores why effective patient safety strategies are grounded in the timely collection and analysis of data and examines the rise in sepsis mortality rates in hospitals.
What else to know: Quality Quarterly is intended to support the work of patient safety professionals by providing information on clinical developments, new technologies, and peer learning opportunities.
What’s happening: CHA will host a members-only webinar to provide seismic legislation updates on July 24 at 9 a.m. (PT).
What else to know: The webinar will provide the latest information on Senate Bill (SB) 1432, CHA’s sponsored seismic relief legislation, as it continues to move through the Legislature and was recently voted out of the Assembly Health Committee with a 14-0 vote.
What’s happening: CHA continues its work to hold insurance companies accountable for providing timely, comprehensive patient care. Last week, CHA submitted a letter to the Department of Managed Health Care urging it to expand network adequacy standards to reflect patients’ current health care needs and hold plans accountable for making those life-changing, lifesaving services available.
What else to know: In the letter, CHA supports the department’s efforts to update the network adequacy standards to reflect the current needs and range of services required by enrolled beneficiaries, including updating standards for access to mental health services, and expanding the list of required provider types. CHA also urged the department to develop and implement specific measures and clear standards to ensure plan compliance.
As the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) continues its efforts to curb growth in health care spending following its setting of a 3.5% growth target in April (ramping down to 3% in 2029), CHA has released a series of brief presentations to help hospital leaders understand both the process and potential implications of OHCA decisions.