As California’s hospitals continue their life-saving work during the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital associations continue to advocate on behalf of hospitals and their patients, in addition to offering these tools and resources:
About Coronavirus
Provider Relief Fund Audits to Start After Sept. 30
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued contracts to several firms to audit federal financial assistance sent to providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reminder: State Requiring Patient Data to Better Understand Breakthrough Cases
A reminder that under All Facilities Letter (AFL) 21-25, which took effect July 27, CDPH is requiring general acute care hospitals to report patient-level discharge information for each hospitalized person who tests positive for COVID-19. This information will assist CDPH in better understanding breakthrough COVID-19 cases.
Child Welfare Services Workers Not Visitors Under CDPH Order
On Aug. 30, CDPH updated its FAQs on the visitation health order to clarify that county child welfare emergency response social workers are not visitors and not covered under the visitation health order.
Statewide Transfers from San Joaquin Valley Could Soon Be Triggered, New State Dashboard Provides Updates
The San Joaquin Valley region could soon hit a key trigger under the Aug. 16 state public health officer order on hospital surge. If this is sustained for two additional days (Sept. 1 and 2), for a total of three days, it will require hospitals statewide to accept transfers from hospitals in the San Joaquin Valley under the […]
AHA Public Service Announcements Feature Clinicians Encouraging COVID-19 Vaccination
Last week, the American Hospital Association (AHA) released new public service announcements (PSAs) and related digital content encouraging vaccination against COVID-19 for still-unvaccinated health care workers and members of the public.
CDPH Reminds Hospitals About Required Weekly Data Reporting
The California Department of Public Health is reminding all hospitals that they are required to report patient level information for each hospitalized person who tests positive for COVID-19. This reporting is required weekly.
CHA Employs Multi-Pronged Approach to Improve Access to Federal Funding for COVID-19 Relief for Hospitals
Three federal laws enacted in 2020 created and funded a $186.5 billion Provider Relief Fund (PRF) to help hospitals and other health care providers manage the financial burden imposed by COVID-19. While initial distributions from the PRF reached hospitals quickly in early 2020, additional distributions have been both slow and fraught with challenging deadlines, unclear criteria for […]
HRSA Releases Provider Relief Fund ‘Lost Revenues Guide’
On Aug. 24, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Lost Revenue Guide.
CMS Increases Medicare Payments for At-Home COVID-19 Vaccinations
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will increase the reimbursement for at-home COVID-19 vaccines by $35 per vaccination when the shots are administered to multiple residents in one home or communal home setting. This new amount is on top of the earlier increase in June for vaccines administered in a beneficiary’s home.
Senate Urges HHS Secretary to Immediately Release PRF Funds
On Aug. 26, 43 members of the U.S. Senate, including Sens. Feinstein and Padilla, sent a bipartisan letter to Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra calling for the immediate release of the remaining Provider Relief Funds to hospitals and providers.