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New Analysis Shares Potential Impact of FFY 2026 Value-Based Purchasing Program (Third Quarter 2024 Data Update)

What’s happening: CHA DataSuite issued a hospital-specific analysis of the Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, which is based on the most recent publicly available data and program rules established by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The analysis is intended to give hospitals a preview of the potential impact of the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2026 VBP program. 

What else to know: Comparison to the FFY 2025 program performance is limited as CMS has not yet made final measure and domain level scores available. 

Beginning FFY 2026, hospitals will be awarded health equity adjustment (HEA) bonus points for excellent care of underserved populations based on their performance in the four evaluated domains, as well as their percentage of full-dually-eligible patients. An HEA estimate is included in this analysis. There will be winners and losers due to the HEA, as the program slope changes with the additional bonus points.  

Participant User Guide Assists Hospitals That Signed State’s Data Sharing Agreement

What’s happening: The Center for Data Insights and Innovation (CDII) has released a Participant User Guide for hospitals that have signed the California Data Exchange Framework’s (Dxf) Data Sharing Agreement. The guide explains the information exchange process of health and social services information and outlines how requests for information between Dxf participants — including admission, discharge, and transfer notifications — should occur. 

What else to know: CDII also released version 1.2 of the DxF Policy and Procedure “Data Elements to be Exchanged” document, which aligns the state requirement for exchanging health and social services information with the U.S. Core Data for Interoperability information required by the federal Office of the National Coordinator beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The same DxF Policy and Procedure version 1.1 document remains effective through Dec. 31.  

Correction Requests for Medicare Hospital FFY 2026 Wage Index, Occupational Mix Revised Data Due Feb. 18

What’s happening: CHA DataSuite issued a hospital-specific analysis of the Medicare hospital federal fiscal year (FFY) 2026 wage index and occupational mix revised data — and it is imperative that hospitals review these data, as they have until Feb. 18 to submit requests for either error corrections or revisions. 

What else to know: The data analyzed is revised and is the second of three wage and occupational mix data public use files (PUFs) that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued to develop the hospital wage index for FFY 2026. 

Hospital Fee Program Fees Due March 7

What’s happening: Hospital Quality Assurance Fee (HQAF) program 8 fees for the Jan. 1-June 30, 2023, managed care directed payment cycle are due March 7 — and the invoice will be 15% higher than the modeled fee amount.  

What else to know: The fee is increased because the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is repaying the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for inpatient upper payment limit (UPL) overages incurred in HQAF program 6 — and CMS directed DHCS to repay immediately without any flexibility. 

CHA Report Finds Labor and Delivery Closures Driven by Three Factors

What’s happening: Maternal health care is in the spotlight both nationally and in California, with a focus on declining birth rates and improving equitable outcomes. A new report from CHA centers on one aspect of access to maternity services: factors driving the decline in hospital-based labor and delivery unit availability. 

What else to know: The report, Maternity Care in California: An Environmental Scan, describes various approaches in California and other states to help policymakers understand that addressing this complex issue requires flexibility and consideration of a community’s unique needs — and that any path forward must prioritize mothers’ and babies’ safety and emphasize high-quality care.  

CHPSO Webinar Tackles Comprehensive Care Plans for High Utilizer Patients

What’s happening: The Collaborative Healthcare Patient Safety Organization (CHPSO) — a division of the Hospital Quality Institute (HQI) — is hosting a webinar on Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. (PT) to discuss empowering high utilizer patients through individualized comprehensive care plans, including partnership with the California Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

What else to know: HQI is an approved continuing education (CE) provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing and will provide CHPSO members who attend the webinar with an opportunity to earn CEs of 1 contact hour (Provider No. CEP16793). Registration is open

Upcoming Programs Support Your Advocacy on OHCA, Federal Policy

With the state Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) barreling toward singling out hospitals for even lower spending growth targets than the statewide goal — and federal legislators debating budget proposals that would decimate Medicaid and Medicare funding — CHA has developed two opportunities for hospitals to prepare for engagement on both of these critical issues.  

Mid-Day Meet-Up | February 13

Registration is closed for the February 13 Mid-Day Meet-Up. We hope you can join us March 13. Contact CAHHS Volunteer Services at (916) 552-7544 or email volunteers@calhospital.org with questions or additional assistance.

2025 Behavioral Health Care Symposium

Registration opens June 3, 2025. The 2025 Behavioral Health Care Symposium returns to Sacramento!   Join us at the Sawyer Kimpton in Sacramento on December 8-9 for rich conversations on behavioral health care in California from speakers you want to hear. If you thought the 2024 Symposium in Long Beach was good – just wait ’til […]