What’s happening: Last week, CHA submitted recommended staff ratios for acute psychiatric hospitals (PDF) to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), urging the state to require a multi-disciplinary care team approach including registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, psychiatric technicians, and mental health workers.
What’s happening: The first round of expanded Hospital Supplier Diversity Reports required under Assembly Bill (AB) 1392 (2023) are due to the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) on July 1.
What’s happening: CHA DataSuite released three hospital-specific analyses intended to show how Medicare skilled-nursing facility (SNF), inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF), and inpatient psychiatric facility (IPF) prospective payment systems (PPS) payments would change from federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025 to 2026 based on policies set forth in the respective proposed rules.
What’s happening: In response to President Donald Trump’s February executive order on price transparency, the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury, as well as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, have issued new guidance and requests for information (RFIs) on machine-readable files, prescription drug pricing, and more.
What’s happening: On May 20, CHA staff and hospital leaders convened about 40 legislative staffers for a discussion of policies coming out of Washington, D.C., and Sacramento that seriously threaten access to affordable care.
What’s happening: The first Hospital Equity Measures Report under Assembly Bill (AB) 1204 (2021) is due to the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) by Sept. 30. The reports must also include a plan to prioritize and address disparities for vulnerable populations identified in the submitted data.
What’s happening: On May 15, the U.S. departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury announced that they will not enforce the 2024 mental health parity final rule that aimed to improve access to mental health services by requiring health plans to make changes when inadequate access is provided.
What’s happening: Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed changes to Medicaid health care-related tax rules that pose significant risks to California’s managed care organization (MCO) tax and Hospital Quality Assurance Fee Program.
What’s happening: At its May 19 meeting, the Proposition (Prop) 35 “Protect Access to Health Care Act” Stakeholder Advisory Committee heard stakeholder concerns about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May budget revision, which redirects Prop 35 funding rather than allocating it for provider payment increases as intended.
What’s happening: CHA DataSuite has issued a hospital-specific analysis of the Medicare hospital federal fiscal year (FFY) 2026 wage index and occupational mix data. It is important that hospitals review these wage data and submit disputes and/or correction requests by May 30.