What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) has issued updated information on requirements for alternate sources of power in skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs).
What else to know: The revised Policy Intent Notice provides guidance for the implementation of alternate sources of power to maintain safe temperatures, availability of lifesaving equipment, and oxygen-generating devices for SNF buildings as required by state law.
(more…)What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided additional updates to the Medicare Advantage Provider Complaint Submission form as it continues to refine the process,.
What else to know: As previously reported, CMS has developed a process that allows providers to submit questions and complaints related to Medicare Advantage (MA) plan appeals or claims payment issues.
(more…)On Nov. 5, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition (Prop) 35, making an existing tax on managed care organizations (MCO) permanent under state law — and directing most of the revenues toward expanding access to care for Medi-Cal patients through improved provider reimbursement. Now, work by the state, hospitals, and others to determine how these funds should be distributed begins.
What’s happening: The Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) board met earlier this week to discuss options for defining hospitals as a sector for spending target purposes, as well as receive an update on progress toward adopting a behavioral health investment benchmark.
What else to know: CHA wrote to the board and provided public comment, pressing that the adoption of a hospital sector definition is premature and misguided, while stating the importance of including the full continuum of clinically appropriate services in OHCA’s behavioral health investment benchmark.
(more…)When Leandro and Sara’s infant daughter Mia started exhibiting a yellow pigment in her eyes, tests and scans at a local hospital led to a diagnosis of biliary atresia. After being referred to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Mia received a liver transplant and is now back to achieving infant milestones like playing with toys and using her big voice.
What’s happening: CHA has incorporated its disaster preparedness website, www.calhospitalprepare.org, into the general CHA website, giving members one-stop access to all association info.
What else to know: The new web page retains the critical disaster recovery and response information formerly housed on the previous site, combining that essential content with CHA’s broader resources.
(more…)What’s happening: CHA has issued a members-only summary of the proposed changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D programs for contract year 2026.
What else to know: The summary, prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., also includes proposals to codify existing sub-regulatory guidance in the MA Part C and Part D programs.
(more…)What’s happening: A summary of the finalized Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model is available for CHA members.
What else to know: The model will test whether performance-based incentive payments paid to or owed by participating kidney transplant hospitals increase access to kidney transplants for patients with end-stage renal disease.
(more…)What’s happening: CHA DataSuite has issued a hospital-specific analysis on quality program measure trends for the third quarter of 2024.
What else to know: The analysis provides hospitals a comparative review of the quality data collected over time by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and published on Care Compare.
(more…)As 2024 comes to a close, it’s a good time to pause to reflect on the work we’ve done together to help improve the lives of all Californians.
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