Former Major League Baseball Pitcher Perseveres Through Pancreatic Cancer

Danny Boitano was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2022 — and UC San Diego Health offered solutions that helped him into remission.

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Specialized Heart Procedure Gives Judi Hope for the Future

Judi learned during a routine cardiology visit that she needed complex, open-heart surgery. At Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, she received the care she needed to get back to her everyday activities.

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New Resources Allow Hospitals to See Where They Fall Under OHCA’s ‘High Cost’ Methodology

What’s happening: CHA has created a data tool to help members replicate calculations used by the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) to identify so-called “high-cost” hospitals and assess how close they may be to the threshold. 

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DHCS Releases Private Hospital-Directed Payment Encounter Files

What’s happening: On June 13, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) uploaded three new hospital-directed payment encounter files, available via the Secure File Transfer Protocol site, that hospitals must download as soon as possible — they will be deleted within 45 days of the upload date.  

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CHA Supports the ‘Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act’

What’s happening: In a letter sent June 12, CHA urged all members of the California congressional delegation to support bipartisan legislation that would improve access to care for seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.   

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Upcoming Webinar Details BCBS Settlement’s Implications for Members

What’s happening: On June 23 from 9-10 a.m. (PT), revenue recovery consulting firm Managed Care Advisory Group and Hospital Council – Northern & Central California will host a members-only webinar on the $2.8 billion Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Provider Settlement and its implications for member organizations.  

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EMSA Solicits Hospital Feedback on APOT Audit Tool

What’s happening: The Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) will host a hospitals-only webinar on June 24 from 8-9:30 a.m. (PT) to share more information about its new “APOT Audit Tool” and solicit feedback.  

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Senate Committee Proposes Drastic Medicaid Cuts

On Monday, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee released legislative language for its version of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a budget bill that would overhaul the nation’s tax structure, in large part through expansive cuts to Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California). 

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Reminder: Documents that Create Medical Debt Must Include Specific Language

What’s happening: Beginning July 1, hospitals must include specific language on any document that indicates the patient agrees to pay the hospital’s bill, per Senate Bill (SB) 1061 (2024). Failure to include the required language means the hospital cannot enforce the debt. 

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MedPAC Releases Report to Congress on Medicare, Health Care Delivery System

What’s happening: The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC’s) June 2025 Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, released June 12, covers improvements to Medicare payment systems, issues affecting the Medicare program, and changes to both health care delivery and the market for health care services.   

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