CHA has sent a letter to Mark Ghaly, MD, secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency, asking him to direct the state’s health plan regulators to take immediate action to address the plans’ unfair payment practices.
The Feb. 28 letter describes the deteriorating performance of health plans in paying their bills on time and how this is endangering hospitals’ viability in a time of unprecedented financial challenges. In the letter, CHA makes 11 specific requests to compel immediate compliance with the state’s prompt payment laws, ensure payment for services rendered, and enhance state oversight of health plan performance.