CHA News

CMS Provides Additional Guidance on Beneficiary Observation Status Appeals

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.   

Additional Participation Information Now Available on Blue Cross Blue Shield Settlement

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 else to know: BCBS plans (referred to as Blue Plans) have agreed to a $2.8 billion settlement to resolve legal allegations from a slew of providers who claim the insurers colluded to prevent competition and lower reimbursements. The settlement will bring a decade-long legal battle to a close, should it secure final approval.  

CHA Webinar Covers New Medicare Conditions of Participation Updates

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.  

DHCS Releases Private Hospital-Directed Payment Encounter Files

What’s happening: On Dec. 13, 2024, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) uploaded three new hospital-directed payment encounter files, available via the Secure File Transfer Protocol site, that hospitals must download as soon as possible — they will be deleted within 45 days of the upload date.   

What else to know: DHCS has also published new calendar year 2023 encounter detail file toolkits for each Directed Payments program.  

DHCS Shifts Deadline for Hospital Fee Program Payments to April 8

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. 

HCAI Releases White Paper on Seismic Instrumentation

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.  

CDPH Releases Updated Return to Work Guidance for Health Care Personnel with Respiratory Viral Infections

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.  

Authors
  • Patricia Blaisdell, FACHE
    Vice President, Policy
  • Megan Howard
    Vice President, Federal Policy