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
Hospitals No Longer Required to Report COVID-19 Data to HHS
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: Hospitals are no longer required to report COVID-19 data mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the National Healthcare Safety Network, effective April 30. What else to know: CMS is proposing a new standard — currently under public comment — requiring hospitals...
Media Coverage of CHA Lawsuit Runs Statewide
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: Statewide and national media coverage of the CHA lawsuit against Anthem Blue Cross includes print articles, news videos, and mentions on local radio stations.
Hearing Set for CHA-Sponsored Seismic Relief Bill
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: CHA’s sponsored legislation that would provide relief from California’s 2030 seismic construction mandates passed the Senate Health Committee last week on an 11-0 vote. Senate Bill (SB) 1432 is now set for a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on May 6. What else to know: The chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee is the primary author...
Updates for the Week of April 29
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
CY 2023 Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Hardship Exception Applications Now Open May 10 Deadline: 2024 MIPS Annual Call for Quality and Cost Measures May 15 Deadline: FY 2025 IPFQR Program NHSN Enrollment and COVID HCP Measure Data Submission May 15 Deadline: Review SNF Provider Preview Reports Care Compare and Provider Data Catalog April 2024...
FDA Finalizes Rule on Laboratory-Developed Tests
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized a regulation of laboratory-developed tests (LDTs), effective July 5.
What else to know: The final rule amends FDA regulations to make explicit that in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products, which include LDTs, are devices under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
CMS Finalizes Rule on Access to Medicaid Services
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule meant to improve access to care and services for the people enrolled in the Medicaid program.
What else to know: The rule is effective July 9.
CHA DataSuite Analyzes FFY 2025 Medicare Skilled-Nursing Facility Proposed Rule
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: CHA DataSuite issued a hospital-specific analysis of the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025 Medicare skilled-nursing facility prospective payment system proposed rule analysis. What else to know: The analysis is intended to show hospitals how Medicare fee-for-service payments would change from FFY 2024 to FFY 2025 based on the policies set forth in the...
Major Milestone Reached to Improve Care for Medi-Cal Patients
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
Last week, the Coalition to Protect Access to Care — of which CHA is a founding member — announced that it has submitted enough signatures to qualify a key initiative for the November 2024 statewide ballot.
Changes Proposed to Risk Adjustment for Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued part one of its annual advance notice of Methodological Changes for Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates and Part D Payment Policies in late December. The advance notice is being issued in two parts this year due to requirements of the 21st Century Cures Act, which mandated certain changes to the Part C risk adjustment model and a 60-day comment period for the changes.
For 2019, CMS proposes to include additional mental health, substance use disorder and chronic kidney disease conditions in the risk adjustment model for payment. The new risk adjustment model would be phased in using a blend of 25 percent of the proposed new risk adjustment model and 75 percent of the current risk adjustment model beginning in 2019. Comments on the advance notice are due by March 2.
CMS Finalizes Cuts to 340B Program in Calendar Year 2018 OPPS Final Rule
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
Late yesterday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the attached final rule updating the outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) for calendar year 2018. CHA is extremely disappointed that CMS finalized its proposal to significantly cut Medicare payments to hospitals for drugs that are acquired under the 340B Drug Pricing Program. Specifically, CMS will pay separately payable, non pass-through drugs (other than vaccines) purchased through the 340B program at a rate of the average sales price minus 22.5 percent, rather than average sales price plus 6 percent. In a change from the proposed rule, CMS will exclude sole community hospitals in rural areas, prospective payment system-exempt cancer hospitals and children’s hospitals from this policy for calendar year 2018. Critical access hospitals are not subject to the OPPS, so they are not impacted by this policy.
CHA will work collaboratively with state and national hospital associations in a coordinated effort to reverse the policy. However, without additional legislative or administrative action, the policy will take effect Jan. 1, 2018, threatening access to care for our most vulnerable patients.
