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.
CHA Encourages OHCA to More Comprehensively Capture Behavioral Health Spending
Ahead of Rule Development, OHCA Board Signals a More Balanced Approach to Spending Target Enforcement
OHCA Continues to Barrel Toward Deeper Health Care Cuts
In remarks that are as baffling as they are dangerous, many Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) board members are doubling down on an arbitrary, accelerated, and punitive process to drain hospitals of resources needed for patient care.
CHA Corrects Record on OHCA’s Rushed, Ill-Considered Efforts to Slash Health Care Spending
Finance and Reimbursement Conference Will Examine Impact of State, Federal Regulations, Policies
Toolkit: Tell Lawmakers – Stop Health Care Cuts That Harm Patients
OHCA Board Doubles Down on Strict Enforcement of Spending Targets, Ignores Consequences for Patient Care
Infographic: OHCA Cuts Don’t Make Health Care Affordable — They Just Hurt Patients
California Hospitals Denounce State Cuts to Health Care
SACRAMENTO (April 22, 2025) — “Today’s decision by the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) to impose deep cuts on seven hospitals will create alarming consequences for patient care,” said Carmela Coyle, President & CEO of the California Hospital Association. “These cuts are coming on top of below-inflation spending caps for all hospitals that OHCA has already put in place. Make no mistake — the hospital care Californians receive is now being decided by a handful of unelected people who are cutting billions of dollars from your health care.”
Hospitals Call Out Office of Health Care Affordability’s Flaws in Setting Limits on Health Care Spending
SACRAMENTO (March 26, 2025) — “The Office of Health Care Affordability’s (OHCA’s) efforts to impose below-cost spending caps on hospitals —and call out 11 specific hospitals for even deeper cuts— is premature and without solid basis,” said Carmela Coyle, President & CEO of the California Hospital Association. “The decisions made by the OHCA Board will cap how much can be spent on health care for Californians — that means real pain for real people.”