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
President Obama Signs ‘Doc Fix’ Legislation
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
President Obama signed into law today a six-month "fix" to rates paid to physicians and non-physician practitioners under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), thereby reversing the automatic 21 percent cut that applied to MPFS claims beginning June 1.
CDPH Announces New Infection Prevention Staff
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has received funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, allowing for an opportunity to accelerate healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention efforts.
Governor Releases 2018-19 State Budget
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
Today Gov. Brown, in his final year as Governor, released his state budget plan, totaling $190 billion for fiscal year 2018-19. As he has in the past, the Governor emphasized fiscal prudence even though the state is projected to have a healthy one-time surplus. He noted that California continues to face uncertain times, including ramifications of the recently enacted federal tax bill, which has not yet been factored into this year’s budget. Today’s budget continues to build the state’s Rainy Day Fund and keep spending in line with revenues.
Key issues of concern CHA has identified in the budget include:
A proposal by the Department of Health Care Services to restrict federal 340B Drug Pricing Program reimbursements within the Medi-Cal program, effective July 1, 2019. As described in the budget summary, the proposal allows the state to comply with existing federal requirements, helps protect program integrity, prevents unnecessary overpayments, collects additional drug rebates, and reduces the time and resources expended to resolve drug rebate disputes related to 340B claims. CHA will learn more details about this proposal and work closely with the Department of Health Care Services and other stakeholders to mitigate impact on hospitals that participate in the 340B program.
State Proposes to Cut Funding for Residencies
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
CHA learned late yesterday that the 2018-19 budget released by Gov. Brown contains an additional issue of great concern to many hospitals — a $40 million decrease in the University of California’s core budget. Under Proposition 56 — the Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016 — the University of California system was allocated $40 million specifically to fund graduate medical education; this reduction erases the additional funding.
Proposition 56 increased taxes on tobacco products, directing $40 million of new revenue annually to the University of California system to develop and implement a program to increase the number of primary care and emergency physicians trained in the state. All accredited residency programs in California that meet the guidelines set forth in Proposition 56 are eligible to receive funding. However, in last year’s state budget, this source of funding for graduate medical education was characterized as revenue for the University of California. As a result, the state budget reduced the University of California’s budget by the same amount. This year’s budget once again cuts the University of California budget by $40 million, compromising Proposition 56’s intent and provisions that the system serve as the public entity responsible for administering this new program. To achieve the public benefit intended by Proposition 56, it is critical that funding for the University of California be restored in this year’s budget. CHA is strongly opposed to this budget action and will work vigorously to oppose the reduction.
OSHPD Takes Steps to Address Project Delays
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
Due to the mandated state furloughs and hiring freezes, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) has once again been experiencing delays in plan review and area compliance activities. OSHPD expects the delays will be minimized when the furloughs end in July. In the meantime, OSHPD has announced two steps, effective this week, to assist in minimizing project delays.
Governor Signs Hospital Fee Appropriations Bill
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The Governor signed AB 188 (Jones, D-Sacramento/Alquist, D-Santa Clara/Steinberg, D-Sacramento) on Nov. 5. Co-sponsored by CHA, the bill provides the necessary appropriations for the state to seek federal approval to implement AB 1383 (Jones, D-Sacramento/Alquist, D-Santa Clara).
CHA Requests Postponement of New Medi-Cal Institutional Provider Agreement
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
More than 300 hospitals enrolled in Medi-Cal have received a letter from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to secure provider agreements or updates from hospitals. The targeted mailing was in response to a recent finding in the single state audit indicating that CDPH did not have complete provider information on file. The provider agreement is a requirement of federal and state laws for participation as a provider in the Medi-Cal program.
CHA Files Ballot Initiative – Hospital Fee Program Protections
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
CHA filed a ballot initiative with the attorney general on Nov. 4. The initiative (No. 09-0073) language would create amendments to the California Constitution that incorporate protections for hospitals for any future hospital provider fee program.
Ninth Circuit Denies Rehearing of Medi-Cal Lawsuit
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
On August 24, 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied the state’s request for rehearing en banc of the April 6 order stopping rate reductions to hospitals for certain Medi-Cal services (see April 10 CHA News).
FTC Enforcement of Red Flag Rule to Begin November 1, 2009
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
After several delays over the last year, the Federal Trade Commission will begin enforcement of the ‘red flag’ rule on November 1, 2009.
