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
Access to Mental Health Services Could Increase for Medicare Advantage Enrollees
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes policy changes for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in contract year (CY) 2025.
What else to know: Comments on the proposed rule, which addresses MA policies such as prior authorization, outpatient behavioral health and supplemental benefits, are due Jan. 5.
CMS Finalizes Inadequate Outpatient Payment Update
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized the calendar year (CY) 2024 outpatient prospective payment system rule.
What else to know: It includes a net market basket update of 3.1%, which is a slight increase over the proposed 2.8%.
Final Home Health Rule Reduces Impact of Behavioral Adjustments on Providers
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued the final rule for the home health prospective payment system for calendar year 2024.
What else to know: Medicare payments to home health agencies will increase in the aggregate by 0.8% instead of the 2.2% decrease that was originally proposed.
Have Questions About Minimum Wage Bill? CHA FAQs May Help
What’s Happening: CHA has released FAQs on Senate Bill 525, which creates minimum wages for health care workers.
What Else to Know? The FAQs are designed to answer member questions and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Certain 340B Hospitals to Receive Lump-Sum Settlement
What’s happening: A final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contains a remedy for the agency’s 340B-acquired drug payment policy that was in effect from 2018 to 2022.
What else to know: Eligible hospitals will receive a lump-sum settlement for claims, including beneficiary cost sharing, as a result of CMS’ invalidated policy that reduced payments for separately payable outpatient drugs acquired under the 340B program.
Counties May Delay Expansion of Involuntary Holds
A new law that could impact hospital emergency departments and inpatient psychiatric capacity can be delayed until 2026 if county boards of supervisors across California adopt a resolution within the next few months.
CMS Finalizes Policies for 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Programs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D programs for contract year 2024. The final rule is effective June 5.
Time to Eliminate Medi-Cal’s Health Care Caste System
Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Times published an important article that sheds a fair bit of light on one of California’s most insidious yet little-known health care problems: chronic Medi-Cal underfunding.
