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
CMS Accepting Grant Applications for Model to Improve Maternal Health
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has opened the application period for the Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model aimed at improving maternal health.
What else to know: Applications are due Sept. 20.
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.
ONC Issues Additional Rule on Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability
What’s happening: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) issued a proposed rule to advance interoperability and improve information sharing among patients, providers, payers, and public health authorities.
What else to know: The proposed rule builds upon a final rule published in January.
Updates for the Week of July 8
YES on 35!
Last week, California’s Secretary of State officially designated Proposition (Prop) 35 as the title for the “Protect Our Health Care” initiative, a CHA-sponsored ballot measure to strengthen Medi-Cal.
Hospital Fee Program Invoices Due July 24
What’s happening: Invoices for the 2023-24 Hospital Fee Program, fee-for-service cycle 4, were mailed on June 24.
What else to know: Payments to the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) are due on July 24.
DHCS Announces Upcoming Supplemental Payment Dates
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has announced it will make disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments on July 15.
What else to know: The payments will have a warrant date of July 11.
CHA Releases APOT Reduction Protocol Educational Materials
What’s happening: CHA released a members-only educational brief and on-demand presentation on ambulance patient offload time (APOT) reduction protocol requirements. These materials provide key deadlines and guidance and share Sutter Health’s approach to incorporating the new requirements into existing procedures. What else to know: As mandated by Assembly Bill 40, California hospitals must submit APOT […]
PAGA Overhaul Means Reduced Fines for Employers, Greater Opportunity to Correct Mistakes
What’s happening: Earlier this month, Gov. Newsom and legislative leadership announced sweeping changes to the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) intended to disincentivize costly lawsuits while protecting employees’ ability to bring claims against employers that violate the law.
What else to know: These changes are included in Assembly Bill 2288 (Kalra, D-San Jose) and Senate Bill 92 (Umberg, D-Santa Ana), which were passed by the Legislature in late June and signed by the governor on July 1. They will apply to lawsuits brought on or after June 19.
