Affordability

About Affordability

Hospitals — a key component of the health care system and often the largest employer in their communities — have been working for years to slow the rate of growth in health care spending. But making a real difference for Californians will take an equal effort from others: insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, doctors, government agencies, labor unions, and more. California’s hospitals stand ready to do their part and are eager to work with policymakers and other stakeholders to tackle this challenge through engagement with the Office of Health Care Affordability.

New Report Shows Patients Served by One in Five California Hospitals Are at Risk of Losing Their Hospital Due to Closure

SACRAMENTO (April 12, 2023) — The latest report from national health care management consulting firm Kaufman Hall shows that one in five California hospitals — dozens throughout the state — is at risk of closure. Hospitals have faced a perfect storm of COVID-related losses, crippling inflation, and systemic underfunding by government payers — Medi-Cal and […]

Size of Budget Deficit Remains Uncertain

Earlier this week, the governor released his January budget proposal for 2023-24, marking the opening of this year’s state budget process. The budget proposes revised spending of $240 billion in 2022-23 and $224 billion in spending for 2023-24 (the fiscal year beginning in July 2023).  

Governor’s 2023-24 Budget Proposal Neglects to Meet Urgent Need for Support for Patients, Hospitals

“California’s hospitals commend Gov. Newsom for his ongoing commitment to increasing access to health care in his proposed January budget, despite the state facing a more than $22 billion budget shortfall,” said Carmela Coyle, President & CEO of the California Hospital Association. “The budget also must support the health care providers who care for patients day […]

State Budget Takes a Wide Variety of Health Care-Related Actions 

In June 2022, the Legislature and governor approved a $308 billion budget for the state fiscal year spanning from July 2022 through June 2023. In late August, the Legislature passed and the governor is expected to approve revisions to the 2022-23 Budget Act, which generally redirect, build upon, or provide statutory parameters around actions previously […]

Hospital Finance Week

CHA will address five critical aspects of hospital finance during Finance Week – one topic per day, five days in a row, with experts offering guidance and answering questions each day. Five days, five webinars. This is where the information you need, dry or not, is delivered by people who understand why you need it […]

Revised State Budget Proposes Important Health Care Investments but Does Not Address Hospitals’ Inflationary Challenges

On May 13, Gov. Newsom released the May Revision with modifications to the proposed state budget he first presented in January. Tax revenue estimates have surged by $55 billion since the governor’s January budget proposal, creating a discretionary budgetary surplus of $49 billion and allowing the state to make new investments beyond what was proposed […]