Legal, Regulatory, & Licensing

About Legal, Regulatory, & Licensing

CHA’s legal department works on behalf of member hospitals and health systems in a variety of ways:

  • Advocating before the courts both as a party in litigation and as amicus curiae in important appellate cases
  • Assisting hospital compliance officers, privacy officers, and other staff with compliance with the myriad federal and state laws that govern hospital administration and the delivery of health care. This includes CHA’s California Health Information Privacy Manual, a California-specific resource that compares privacy requirements under HIPAA to state laws, and the California Hospital Compliance Manual, which covers high-risk compliance issues.
  • Representing the interests of California hospitals before state and federal courts in lawsuits involving MICRA, reimbursement, labor and employment, medical staff, and other issues
  • Assistance with medical staff bylaws
  • Expertise in mental health law

This section also includes information about the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) Licensing and Certification Division, which is responsible for the licensure, regulation, inspection, and certification of health care facilities and certain health care professionals in California.

CMS Removes COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Health Care Workers

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a final rule withdrawing the COVID-19 vaccination requirements for workers in most health care settings that receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement. They include but are not limited to hospitals, dialysis facilities, ambulatory surgical settings, home health agencies, and long-term care facilities.   

CHA Supports Publication of Opinion in Employee Termination Case

The California Court of Appeal recently issued an opinion in Hodges v. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center that was originally designated as “not to be published” (meaning it could not be cited as precedent in other cases). However, CHA believed that it could provide a helpful precedent for other hospitals and submitted a letter brief requesting that […]

CHA Issues Draft Comments on FFY 2024 IRF, SNF, and IPF PPS Proposed Rules

CHA has issued members-only draft comments on the federal fiscal year 2024 inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) prospective payment system (PPS), skilled-nursing facility (SNF) PPS, and inpatient psychiatric facility (IPF) PPS proposed rules. CHA encourages members to use the drafts as a template to submit their own comment letters.  

CHA Issues Summaries of IPPS, LTCH PPS Proposed Rules

CHA has issued comprehensive summaries of the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2024 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long-term care hospital (LTCH) PPS proposed rules. Comments on both proposed rules are due to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by 2 p.m. (PT) on June 9 and can be submitted online.  

In-Person Consent Law Seminar Returns in Two Weeks 

CHA’s 2023 Consent Law Seminar, which will be held on May 23 & 31, with a livestream option, is designed to help hospitals stay current on important changes in the law. This is an opportunity to gain insights into legislative and regulatory updates and learn from frontline experiences. 

CHA Issues Summary of Proposed Rule to Expand Health Care Access to DACA Recipients

CHA has issued a members-only summary, prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., of the proposed rule released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to amend regulatory definitions of “lawfully present” in specific health programs. These proposed changes would allow Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients to enroll in the programs. Comments […]