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
New Resources Allow Hospitals to See Where They Fall Under OHCA’s ‘High Cost’ Methodology
What’s happening: CHA has created a data tool to help members replicate calculations used by the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) to identify so-called “high-cost” hospitals and assess how close they may be to the threshold.
DHCS Releases Private Hospital-Directed Payment Encounter Files
What’s happening: On June 13, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) uploaded three new hospital-directed payment encounter files, available via the Secure File Transfer Protocol site, that hospitals must download as soon as possible — they will be deleted within 45 days of the upload date.
CHA Supports the ‘Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act’
What’s happening: In a letter sent June 12, CHA urged all members of the California congressional delegation to support bipartisan legislation that would improve access to care for seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.
Upcoming Webinar Details BCBS Settlement’s Implications for Members
What’s happening: On June 23 from 9-10 a.m. (PT), revenue recovery consulting firm Managed Care Advisory Group and Hospital Council – Northern & Central California will host a members-only webinar on the $2.8 billion Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Provider Settlement and its implications for member organizations.
EMSA Solicits Hospital Feedback on APOT Audit Tool
What’s happening: The Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) will host a hospitals-only webinar on June 24 from 8-9:30 a.m. (PT) to share more information about its new “APOT Audit Tool” and solicit feedback.
Senate Committee Proposes Drastic Medicaid Cuts
On Monday, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee released legislative language for its version of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a budget bill that would overhaul the nation’s tax structure, in large part through expansive cuts to Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California).
Reminder: Documents that Create Medical Debt Must Include Specific Language
What’s happening: Beginning July 1, hospitals must include specific language on any document that indicates the patient agrees to pay the hospital’s bill, per Senate Bill (SB) 1061 (2024). Failure to include the required language means the hospital cannot enforce the debt.
MedPAC Releases Report to Congress on Medicare, Health Care Delivery System
What’s happening: The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC’s) June 2025 Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, released June 12, covers improvements to Medicare payment systems, issues affecting the Medicare program, and changes to both health care delivery and the market for health care services.
CDPH Health Advisory Urges Summertime Testing for Influenza A
What’s happening: The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released a Health Advisory on June 11 recommending that, as the 2024-25 flu season ends, health care providers continue testing for influenza throughout the summer — particularly in patients with respiratory illness, conjunctivitis, or avian influenza A (H5N1) exposure risk factors.
Insurers’ Admin Costs and Profits Ballooned 25% in 2023, OHCA Analysis Finds
What’s happening: At its June 9 meeting, the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) board discussed the office’s first baseline report, which highlights that total health care expenditures grew by 8.2% (from $378 billion to $409 billion) from 2022 to 2023.
