The newsroom includes access to CHA News, which provides timely information to members every Thursday and is at the core of CHA benefits. In addition, it is also home to resources such as toolkits and talking points designed to help member hospitals and health systems communicate with internal and external audiences on a range of current health care-related issues. Links to CHA media statements and press releases can also be found here.
Newsroom
Change Healthcare Cyberattack Raises Privacy Breach Implications
What’s happening: CHA has analyzed public information to help hospitals better understand privacy implications stemming from the Change Healthcare cyberattack in late February.
What else to know: The cyberattack raises the question of whether affected hospitals must report a breach to patients or to government officials under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or state breach reporting laws.
Updates for the Week of March 18
Tyler Sadwith Appointed as DHCS State Medicaid Director
What’s happening: On March 13, Gov. Newsom announced the appointment of Tyler Sadwith as state Medicaid director at the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), effective March 25.
What else to know: Sadwith has held leadership positions at DHCS since July 2021, most recently serving as deputy director for behavioral health since June 2022.
Providers Must Register for New Medi-Cal Portal by April 11
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) will be decommissioning the legacy portal for presumptive eligibility (PE) enrollment and replacing it with the new Medi-Cal Provider Portal.
What else to know: Providers who currently use the legacy Medi-Cal Transaction Services Portal must register for the new Medi-Cal Provider Portal by April 11. Failure to register will result in losing access to the PE applications.
DHCS Issues Memo to Medi-Cal Managed Care Health Plans on Change Healthcare Cyberattack
What’s happening: On March 13, the Department of Health Care Services issued a memo to its contracted Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs) related to flexibilities to ensure delivery system stability following the Change Healthcare cyberattack.
What else to know: The memo reminds MCPs of their claims payment contractual responsibilities, including oversight of their delegated entities, and strongly encourages MCPs to take steps to support the provider community.
CMS Approves the Calendar Year 2023 Private Hospital Directed Payment Preprint
What’s happening: On March 18, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the calendar year 2023 private hospital directed payment (PHDP) preprint for the rating period from Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023.
What else to know: A copy of the federal approval letter is available on CHA’s Hospital Fee Program web page under Program 8.
CMS Announces New Primary Care Payment Model
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Primary Care (PC) Flex Model, a new voluntary payment model that will test how prospective payments and increased funding for primary care in ACOs impact health outcomes, quality, and costs of care.
What else to know: CMS will launch the model on Jan. 1, 2025.
CHA to Host 2024 Emergency Services Forum
What’s happening: CHA will host the 2024 Emergency Services Forum on May 6 from 7 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in Newport Beach.
What else to know: RaDonda Vaught, the first nurse ever criminally charged in a medication error resulting in injury or death, will be the closing keynote speaker. Registration is open.
CHA DataSuite Releases Four Analyses
What’s happening: CHA DataSuite issued hospital-specific analyses on the Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program, quality program measure trends, and a quality programs overview report.
What else to know: Analyses are updated with the latest Care Compare data release for fourth quarter 2023. See below for the members-only analysis descriptions.