About Affordability
Health care is a basic human need, one that Californians rely on to live, grow, and prosper. Unfortunately, the cost of care has become too high for many working families. For years, California’s hospitals have made headway toward controlling costs. To ensure care for every Californian, the entire health care field must tighten its belt — insurance companies, physicians, labor unions, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and more.
Improving affordability is a priority for California hospitals — but with nearly two-thirds of health care spending occurring outside of hospitals, solving this challenge will take a combined effort from the entire health care system. To move toward our shared goals of affordable, equitable, and high-quality health care, hospitals work closely with the Office of Health Care Affordability.
In Approving Penalty Structure, OHCA Jeopardizes Patient Care
What’s happening: After the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) board voted yesterday to approve astronomical financial penalties against hospitals it deems non-compliant with its caps on spending growth, CHA immediately issued a media statement reiterating hospitals’ strident opposition and highlighting new research showing the unintended consequences of similar efforts in other states.
Dozens of Lawmakers Sign Letter Pressing OHCA to Explain Its Work
What’s happening: This week, Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) submitted to the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) a letter, cosigned by 25 other lawmakers, that asks pointed questions about OHCA’s work to date – in particular, how its efforts to control affordability will preserve access to care.
OHCA Vote Will Decrease Access to Care, Not Increase Affordability
Today, California’s Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) took another step toward diminishing access to health care for millions of Californians. In a unanimous vote, the board approved levying astronomical financial penalties on hospitals it deems noncompliant with spending caps imposed by the state. These penalties were set without first clarifying how spending will be determined to meet or exceed those targets.
Aug. 26 Is Best Chance to Urge OHCA to Revise Penalty Structure
What’s happening: The Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) board meets next week, with votes agendized on the scope, range, and justification factors for both spending target penalties and procedural penalties. Hospitals must push back on the unprecedented penalties OHCA has proposed; see CHA's alert for guidance and resources.
CHA Makes Case That Now Is the Time to Overturn OHCA’s Unlawful Cost Targets
What’s happening: On Monday, CHA filed its latest legal brief with the San Francisco Superior Court establishing why the judge must reject the Office of Health Care Affordability’s (OHCA’s) request to dismiss the case.
Holding OHCA to Account
Our work continues to educate state policymakers about Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) policies that risk access to vital health care services.
CHA Urges OHCA to Revise Proposed Penalty Structure
What’s happening: Last week, CHA submitted a letter urging the Office of Health Care Affordability to modify its penalty structure proposal, calling attention to the exorbitant potential penalties that would undermine OHCA’s charge to maintain access and quality in its pursuit of affordability.
Hospitals’ High-Stakes Game — and What It Means for Patient Care
During last week’s CHA Board meeting, members were joined by Ken Kaufman, founder of the nationally renowned health care financial consulting firm Kaufman Hall, for a candid and enlightening conversation about the future of hospital care.
CHA Hosts Legislator Briefing on OHCA Advocacy
What’s happening: This week, CHA hosted more than 50 lawmakers and legislative staff for a briefing focused on the Office of Health Care Affordability’s (OHCA’s) work to date, hospitals’ advocacy efforts, and the impact OHCA’s policies will have on health care access statewide.
The Other Half of the Affordability Conversation
A pair of recent articles by nationally renowned health care policy experts — one in Health Affairs and one in The New York Times — underscores points that CHA has been making for years around the unintended consequences of artificially capping spending on health care services without adequately considering the impact on access to care, jobs, and patients’ experience.