About Quality
The mission of California hospitals is to deliver safe, quality care that is accessible to all. Hospitals participate in many activities to improve the quality and safety of the care they provide. California hospitals have a trusted partner in the Hospital Quality Institute, which helps them reduce errors, and maximize patient safety. One of the ways in which HQI does this is by being a source of performance data and analytics. The data help focus improvement opportunities and scale best practices.
CMS Proposes Reducing Medicare Payments to Physicians
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its calendar year (CY) 2025 physician fee schedule (PFS) proposed rule.
What else to know: The proposed CY 2025 PFS conversion factor is $32.36, a decrease of $0.93, or 2.8%, from CY 2024.
HQI Quality Quarterly Highlights Data-Driven Patient Safety Strategies
What’s happening: The July edition of Quality Quarterly explores why effective patient safety strategies are grounded in the timely collection and analysis of data and examines the rise in sepsis mortality rates in hospitals.
What else to know: Quality Quarterly is intended to support the work of patient safety professionals by providing information on clinical developments, new technologies, and peer learning opportunities.
CMS Proposes Inadequate Outpatient Payment Update
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the calendar year (CY) 2025 outpatient prospective payment system proposed rule.
What else to know: The rule includes a net market basket update of 2.6%. As a result of all proposed changes, CMS estimates that hospital outpatient payments will increase by $1.8 billion in CY 2025, excluding changes in enrollment, case mix, and utilization.
CMS Issues CY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its calendar year (CY) 2025 proposed rule for the physician fee schedule (PFS).
What else to know: Comments on the proposed rule are due Sept. 9.
HQI Releases CHPSO Annual Report
What’s happening: The Hospital Quality Institute (HQI) has released its CHPSO Annual Report, an overview of the most significant work done on behalf of hospitals in 2023.
What else to know: HQI is dedicated to improving the quality and safety of patient care in hospitals and health care systems and oversees the Collaborative Health Care Patient Safety Organization (CHPSO). The focus of CHPSO is on improving patient safety and quality of care by collecting, analyzing, and sharing data on adverse events and near misses in health care.
CHA Comments on IPPS Proposed Rule
What’s happening: CHA asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to increase the payment update in comments on the federal fiscal year 2025 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) proposed rule.
What else to know: Members are encouraged to use CHA’s letter as a template to submit comments, which are due on June 10.
CHA Comments in Response to IRF, IPF Payment Proposed Rules
What’s happening: CHA submitted comments in response to the federal fiscal year 2025 inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF) and inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPF) prospective payment system proposed rules.
What else to know: Comments were due to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by 2 p.m. (PT) on May 28.
CHA to Host Webinar on Doula Access in Hospitals
Survey Spotlights Care Access Challenges Facing Central Valley Residents
What’s happening: The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) convened health care leaders and community organizations in Fresno on May 15 to discuss the results from the 2024 Central Valley Health Policy Survey.
What else to know: The survey gathered responses from more than 1,500 residents in five Central Valley counties on the challenges they face accessing health care in their communities.
CHA Issues Summaries of IPPS, LTCH PPS Proposed Rules
What’s happening: CHA has issued summaries of the federal fiscal year 2025 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long-term care hospital (LTCH) PPS proposed rules.
What else to know: CHA will host a complimentary, members-only webinar on the IPPS provisions on May 15. Comments on the proposed rules are due by 2 p.m. (PT) on June 10.