What’s happening: U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui led a bipartisan letter requesting that the fiscal year 2027 appropriations bill include language barring the use of funds for implementation of any 340B Rebate Model, including the previously proposed pilot program.
(more…)House Letter Urges Appropriators to Block Funding for 340B Rebate Model
Updated HPSA Designation List Available from HCAI
What’s happening: Due to federal policy shifts, many of California’s Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations are currently “Proposed for Withdrawal” on July 1. An updated and more comprehensive list from the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) is available to help hospitals located in a HPSA assess their status.
(more…)Hospital APOT Reduction Protocols Due June 30
What’s happening: As a reminder, all hospitals must submit an ambulance patient offload time (APOT) reduction protocol — required under Assembly Bill (AB) 40 (2023) — to the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) annually on or before June 30. CHA recommends hospitals submit their protocols as soon as possible.
(more…)Physician Reclaims His Marathon Dream After Surgery to Remove Tumor
Sunny Sharma, MD, is used to advising his patients to do their research — and when he experienced hearing loss after having a viral infection, he followed his own advice. After an MRI revealed an acoustic neuroma, Dr. Sharma read research articles, met with several local doctors for referrals, and joined support groups to learn more. UC San Diego Health’s name came kept coming up, so he turned to their acoustic neuroma experts for care. Eventually, he was able to reclaim his dream of running the Chicago Marathon.
(more…)Rural Health Care Matters
I had the privilege earlier this week to welcome and join one of the most important gatherings of rural health care leaders in California: CHA’s annual Rural Health Care Symposium.
(more…)Recording of Hospital Fee Program Executive Briefing Now Available
What’s happening: A recording of CHA’s March 18 executive briefing on the Hospital Fee Program is now available for members who may have missed it.
(more…)New Documents Available on Rural Health Transformation Program
What’s happening: The Department of Healthcare Access and Information (HCAI) has released two documents — FAQs and briefing slides — on the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).
(more…)CHA Joins Lawmakers, Hospital Leaders at San Diego Health Care Roundtable
What’s happening: On March 20, CHA participated in a health care roundtable hosted by Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D‑Carlsbad) and Scripps Health. The event, which was held at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, brought together California lawmakers and health care leaders from the San Diego region to discuss key issues hospitals are facing.
(more…)OHCA Board Pushes for Reconsideration of High-Cost Hospital Designations
What’s happening: The Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) board met on March 25, where it pushed the office to create a process to revise “high-cost” hospital determinations if based on faulty data. The board also deliberated over the process for providers to obtain adjustments to their spending targets related to the growth in non-supervisory organized labor costs.
(more…)Medicaid State-Directed Payments Help Ensure Patient Access to Care
About State-Directed Payments (SDPs)
SDPs are additional payments made to health care providers to support Medicaid quality and access goals. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reviews and approves SDPs for each 12-month rating period. Payments to providers are made via managed care organizations (MCOs) and are based on utilization of Medicaid services. Every year, states must demonstrate that SDPs are actuarially sound and result in reasonable and appropriate provider payment levels. In addition, CMS requires evaluation plans that demonstrate payments are effective in meeting program access and quality objectives.
Read on for more frequently asked questions about SDPs in California:
Health care access would be at grave risk without these funds. For many hospitals, losing this revenue would mean closure of service lines; for others, it would threaten their viability altogether. That means million of Americans — regardless of what type of insurance they have — would lose access to their health care providers.
