About Licensing & Accreditation
Hospital licensing and certification is complex. CHA offers resources to help hospitals meet robust licensing requirements, including the California Hospital Survey Manual, which explains both California and federal requirements and helps hospitals prepare for the survey process, explains how surveys are conducted, and offers tips for a successful survey.
CMS Memos Clarify Policies for Providers, State Survey Agencies
What’s happening: In four new memos, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) clarifies survey policies for critical access hospitals (CAHs), long-term care facilities (LTC), and laboratories.
What else you need to know: New and revised guidance addresses time-share and leased space arrangements in CAHs, immediate jeopardy in laboratories, and LTC policies.
HCAI Releases Policy Intent, Code Application Notices
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) has released policy intent notices (PIN) on steel quality and quality control, and code application notices (CAN) for nurse stations and self-contained medication dispensing units (MDUs).
What else to know: Issued by HCAI’s Office of Statewide Hospital Planning and Development, these new policies and code changes aim to streamline, outline, and clarify various aspects of hospital operations.
CMS Finalizes Inadequate Outpatient Payment Update, Establishes New Conditions of Participation
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its calendar year (CY) 2025 outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) final rule, including a net market basket update of 2.9%.
What else to know: CMS also establishes new health and safety standards for obstetrical services to be phased in over two years.
2024 Legislative Wrap-up
Don’t miss CHA’s upcoming webinar — your essential guide to navigating new health care laws and regulations. This interactive session is designed to give you a clear, actionable understanding of the latest legislative updates that could impact your operations. Our expert panel will cover key 2024 legislation, highlight crucial deadlines, and answer your pressing questions, ensuring you’re well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
2025 HR Conference
The 2025 HR Conference is coming to Long Beach in February! Hosted by the California Hospital Association in partnership with the Hospital Association of Southern California, this conference will cover topics human resource professionals in health care need to know about.
CMS Guidance Clarifies Hospital Respiratory Illness Data Reporting Requirements Effective Nov. 1
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance to hospitals and state surveyors that underscores the importance of following reporting requirements for new hospital respiratory illness data reporting conditions of participation (CoP).
What else to know: CMS also clarifies in the guidance that psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation hospitals will report their daily COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus data annually rather than weekly.
CHA Releases Report to Help Hospitals Comply with New Laws
What’s happening: Hospitals can use the 2024 Report on State Legislation as they navigate the many health care-related bills the governor signed into law this session.
What else to know: The report summarizes the most significant health care bills of the year, as well as broader legislative changes that affect patients and employers.
HCAI Releases Updated Code Application Notice on Tests, Special Inspections
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) revised the Code Application Notice (CAN) on tests and special inspections to expand the program’s scope.
What else to know: The Policy Intent Notice (PIN) 58, OSHPD Preapproved Agency (OPAA) for Tests and Special Inspections — from HCAI’s Office of Statewide Hospital Planning and Development (OSHPD) — summarizes the processes and procedures for this OPAA program, as well as generic issues related to approved agencies. On Oct. 23, PIN 58 was updated to expand the OPAA program’s scope to all disciplines (from structural only) and add clarification for fire life safety acceptance.
CHA 2025 Legal Update Webinar Tackles Workplace Compliance in Health Care
What’s happening: CHA is hosting a members-only webinar on Nov. 13 from 10-11 a.m. (PT) to discuss recently enacted labor and employment laws that will impact hospital workplace operations in 2025.
What else to know: Erika Frank, vice president, legal counsel, is co-hosting this webinar with Gail Blanchard-Saiger, principal with Blanchard Saiger Law. Registration is open.
Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule Reporting Delayed Until 2026
What’s happening: The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025, passed at the end of September, has delayed the clinical laboratory fee schedule private payer reporting requirements for hospital outreach laboratories.
What else to know: The next data reporting period is from Jan. 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.