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
CHA Works to Improve Bill on Implicit Bias Training in Maternal Care
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: CHA is working closely with Assembly Member Lori Wilson (D-Suisun), author of Assembly Bill (AB) 2319, on amendments to improve the bill’s implicit bias training requirements for perinatal health care providers.
What else to know: AB 2319 would expand provisions of the California Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act (Chapter 533, Statutes of 2019). CHA was successful in securing amendments that enable hospitals to implement the bill’s provisions and will continue to work with the author’s office on further clarifying amendments.
CMS Issues Post-Acute Care Payment Proposed Rules
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its proposed payment policies for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs), and hospices for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025.
What else to know: Comments on the proposed rules are due to CMS by 2 p.m. (PT) on May 28.
CMS Issues FFY 2025 Inpatient Psychiatric Facility PPS Proposed Rule
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025 inpatient psychiatric facility (IPF) prospective payment system (PPS) proposed rule.
What else to know: Comments are due to CMS by 2 p.m. (PT) on May 28.
CHA Issues Member Alerts on Critical Access Hospital, Seismic Legislation
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: CHA urges members to show support for Senate Bill (SB) 1423, which would provide financial relief to critical access hospitals, and SB 1432, which would modify 2030 seismic standards to address hospital compliance challenges.
What else to know: Information below details action to take, timing, and resources for hospitals that want to show their support for this critical legislation.
As Office of Health Care Affordability Approaches First Target, Key Factors Continue to Be Ignored
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
With no action taken at the March board meeting of the Office of Health Care Affordability, the eight-member body has just two meetings left before it is legally required to set the first health care spending growth target in California’s history.
Panel Explores Reasons for Hospital Maternity Ward Closures
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: The closure of labor and delivery units in California hospitals was the focus of a recent panel discussion sponsored by the nonprofit news organization CalMatters. Peggy Wheeler, CHA vice president, policy, appeared on the panel.
What else to know: The discussion “No Deliveries: When Maternity Wards Close, Where Do Patients Go?” focused on the pace and impact of maternity unit closures and efforts to protect access. Wheeler shared the reasons underlying these closures, including low birth rates, workforce challenges, and insufficient Medi-Cal reimbursement rates.
Medicare Reduces Coinsurance Amount for 41 Different Part B Drugs
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: Medicare temporarily reduced the coinsurance amount for 41 different Part B prescription drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act.
What else to know: Through June 30, the coinsurance amount is decreased from 20% to between 3.8% and 19.9%, depending on the drug.
CY 2025 Medicare Advantage, Part D Payment Changes Finalized
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 changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) Part C and Part D payments for calendar year (CY) 2025.
What else to know: Comments on the MA data request for information are due by May 29. The policies are effective Jan. 1, 2025.
CMS Revises Informed Consent Guidance for Hospitals
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its Hospital Interpretive Guidelines for Informed Consent.
What else to know: The guidance clarifies the need to obtain informed consent from patients to perform important surgical tasks, and sensitive or invasive procedures, as well as examinations outside of the medically necessary procedure.
CHA Comments on Draft 340B Legislation
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: CHA submitted feedback on draft legislation related to the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which allows rural and safety-net hospitals to buy outpatient drugs at discounted prices.
What else to know: The bipartisan SUSTAIN 340B Act considers significant changes to the 340B program.
