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
Health Care Minimum Wage Increases Took Effect July 1
What’s happening: On July 1, the minimum wage for employees of certain hospitals increased per Senate Bill (SB) 525 (2023) and SB 159 (2024).
CMS’ Home Health PPS Proposed Rule for CY 2026 Would Cut Payments by 6.4%; Rule Summary Released
What’s happening: The estimated 6.4% payment reduction in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) calendar year (CY) 2026 home health prospective payment system (PPS) proposed rule equates to roughly $1.13 billion less than CY 2025 payments. Comments are due to CMS by Aug. 29.
CDPH Now Requires Fee for Licensing Applications, Written Notifications
What’s happening: All Facilities Letter (AFL) 25-19 changes the application review process for all applications submitted to the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH’s) Centralized Applications Branch.
CHA Supports Legislation Improving Rural Access to Care
What’s happening: In a June 30 letter to the California congressional delegation, CHA urges members to cosponsor and support the Preserving Emergency Access in Key Sites (PEAKS) Act (S. 1960/H.R. 3778).
CHA Asks CMS to Revise LTCH Outlier Threshold
What’s happening: In recently submitted comments, CHA requested that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revise the fixed-loss outlier threshold in the long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment system.
CDPH Expands Neurodegenerative Disease Reporting to Include ALS
What’s happening: After launching mandatory reporting of certain diseases through the California Neurodegenerative Disease Registry on July 1, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has now expanded the list of reportable diseases to include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
CHPSO 2024 Annual Report Underscores Pathways to Prevention
What’s happening: On July 1, the Collaborative Healthcare Patient Safety Organization (CHPSO) — a division of the Hospital Quality Institute — released its 2024 Annual Report, which shares analyses of patterns in diagnostic errors, recaps the year’s signal detection data, summarizes advancements in data quality among CHPSO’s growing membership, and more.
Insurers Pledge to Improve Prior Authorization System
What’s happening: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leadership has received commitments from multiple insurance companies to streamline prior authorization processes by cutting red tape, accelerating care decisions, and enhancing transparency for patients and providers.
A New Era of Health Care Is Coming
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
“I would also say to anybody who’s designed their business model depending on federal government funding: Get a new model.” – Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)
“People say, ‘Well, my hospital is not doing very well.’ Give me the financial statements. I’ll be glad to go through them.” – Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.)
Senate Passes Landmark Medicaid Cuts, House Poised to Vote Soon
What’s happening: On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed, largely along party lines and with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote, its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) — making even deeper cuts to Medicaid than the House of Representatives’ version that passed just a few weeks ago. California Sens....
