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
Landmark Law for Critical Access Hospitals Takes Effect on Jan. 1
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: Nov. 16 is National Rural Health Day. But in California, many rural hospitals don’t have enough physicians to serve their patients.
What else to know: Starting in 2024, some rural hospitals — specifically, critical access hospitals — can directly employ physicians, with a goal of attracting them to smaller communities.
Summary: Finalized Policies Address Physician Payment and Quality Updates
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: A members-only summary from Health Policy Alternatives, Inc. discusses the final physician payment policies for calendar year (CY) 2024.
What else to know: Policies are effective Jan. 1.
Hear From DataGen About the Outpatient Payment Final Rule
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date. What’s Happening: A DataGen webinar on Dec. 5 at noon (PT) will provide an overview of the calendar year 2024 outpatient prospective payment system final rule. What Else to Know: Registration is required.
Continuing Education Credits Available in Multiple Areas for Symposium Attendees
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: CHA’s 2023 Behavioral Health Care Symposium (Dec. 12-13) in Sacramento will offer continuing education (CE) credits in multiple areas for qualifying participants.
What else to know: To qualify to receive CE credits, registrants must complete a post-event survey, attest to participation, and provide a professional license number.
Summary: Providers Would Face Financial Penalties for Information Blocking
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: A members-only summary from Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., of the proposed rule on information blocking details provider disincentives related to programs from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
What else to know: Comments on the proposed rule are due Jan. 2.
New Requirements for Hospital Supplier Diversity Reporting Coming in 2025
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: Assembly Bill (AB) 1392 (2023) expands the Hospital Supplier Diversity program by requiring additional reporting information for hospitals, effective July 1, 2025.
What else to know: A fact sheet from the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) outlines the statutory changes and time frames for program implementation.
Continuing Resolution Averts Government Shutdown and Delays DSH Cuts
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: The House voted 336-95 on a two-tiered stopgap measure that funds the federal government past the Nov. 17 deadline and delays Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts until Jan. 19. The Senate passed the measure on Nov. 15 and President Biden has indicated he will sign it.
What else to know: Funding expires for certain federal agencies on Jan. 19 and other agencies on Feb. 2.
An Early Warning System for California Hospitals
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
Earlier this week, CHA’s Hospital Quality Institute issued a statewide alert calling attention to an increased prevalence of whooping cough (pertussis) in California.
Physicians Will See Medicare Payment Cuts Next Year
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2024 physician fee schedule final rule reduces Medicare payments to physicians by 1.23% compared to the prior year.
What else to know: The final 2024 physician fee schedule conversion factor is $32.74, a decrease of $1.15, or 3.4%, from 2023.
Independent Dispute Resolution Portal Reopening for Certain Disputes
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
What’s happening: The departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury are reopening the independent dispute resolution (IDR) portal for all batched disputes and single air ambulance disputes.
What else to know: The portal has been closed since federal agencies suspended all IDR process operations in August to align with the district court’s opinions and orders in TMA III and TMA IV.
