What’s happening: On Jan. 21, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released two All Facilities Letters (AFLs), AFL 25-02 and AFL 25-03, intended for hospitals and skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs) impacted by the Los Angeles fires.
What else to know: The AFLs issue instructions for regulatory relief and explain the process for program flexes, including staffing waiver requests.
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued additional information, including billing instructions, for the Medicare Change of Status Notifications (MCSN).
What else to know: Beginning Feb. 14, CMS will require giving MCSNs to patients who are reclassified from inpatient to observation (outpatient) status.
What’s happening: With additional information available on the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) antitrust claims settlement process, hospitals will benefit from reviewing the recent BCBS antitrust settlement agreement’s potential impact with their legal counsel, including whether to remain in or opt out of the settlement.
What’s happening: CHA will host a members-only webinar on Jan. 29 from 11 a.m. to noon (PT) to discuss the new Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoP) updates for obstetrical and other services. Registration is open.
What else to know: The requirements will be phased in over two years, with the first of the requirements in effect July 1.
What’s happening: Effective January 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires certain facility types to report hospital respiratory data (HRD) to the National Healthcare Safety Network on an annual basis.
What else to know: All required data elements and reporting information can be found in the HRD Reporting Protocol.
Following last week’s release of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed $322 billion budget for 2025-26, work will now focus on ensuring allocations from a recently approved managed care organization tax are delivered in accordance with the intent of the ballot measure passed in November.
What’s happening: On Jan. 10, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued advance notice of proposed capitation rate and payment updates for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans for calendar year (CY) 2026.
What else to know: The final 2026 rate announcement is expected by April 7.
What’s happening: As previously shared with member hospitals via email, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has shifted the timing of fees and payments for the Hospital Quality Assurance Fee (HQAF) program attributable to the managed care pass-through cycle for the Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024, period.
What else to know: The fees associated with this cycle are now due April 8, 2025.
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information’s (HCAI) recent white paper covers how useful and beneficial it is for health care facilities to utilize seismic instrumentations, such as various sensors that measure accelerations and displacements.
What else to know: The paper was developed by the Hospital Building Safety Board’s Instrumentation Committee and its information is valuable to hospital owners and managers, operators, design professionals, public officials, and the general public.
What’s happening: On Jan. 10, the California Department of Public Health released updated Interim Work Exclusion Guidance that details when health care personnel with COVID-19, influenza, and other acute respiratory viral infections may return to work.
What else to know: The guidance, announced in an All Facilities Letter, applies regardless of whether diagnostic testing for viral pathogens is performed or the results of such testing is confirmed. This guidance does not apply to novel viral pathogens, including avian influenza, for which other public health guidance is available.