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What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its proposed payment policies for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs), and hospices for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025.
What else to know: Comments on the proposed rules are due to CMS by 2 p.m. (PT) on May 28.
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Health care access for more than 2 million Californians is shrinking.
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Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to speak at CHA’s Annual Behavioral Health Care Symposium, joined by hundreds of clinical professionals, representatives from government organizations, and hospital leaders.
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The California Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) continues to press forward with analyses, investigations, and policies that do not take into full account the impact of their proposals on patient care. Given that, it’s vital that hospitals make certain that the effect on patients and communities is not lost from the conversation.
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Earlier this week, nearly 50 of California’s hospital and health system leaders trekked almost 3,000 miles to Washington, D.C. Their purpose: to share with members of Congress the legislative changes they need to successfully meet their mission of care back home.
It was an impressive showing for this year’s joint advocacy program, hosted by your California Hospital Association and the American Hospital Association. I am grateful to have been able to spend time with John Muir Health President & CEO Cal Knight, CHA’s Board Chair, along with Stanford Health Care President and CEO David Entwistle, and Alameda Health System CEO Delvecchio Finley, California’s representatives on AHA’s Board of Trustees.
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Across the nation, the headlines are bold.
From patients going bankrupt due to unexpected medical bills to the news that one in seven patients is burdened by surprise bills.
Daily, these stories keep at the forefront a disparity issue of growing proportion: how to ensure that health care is available, of the highest possible quality, yet affordable for the tens of millions of people who struggle with everyday expenses, let alone the costs of unexpected health needs. Clinical advances, technology, drugs, and more allow us to save lives and perform health care miracles every day, but these accomplishments are increasingly unaffordable for the average person.
The health care affordability conversation is not only dominating the media, but also the Capitol building in Sacramento and the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Hospitals are front and center in this debate.
Below are a number of resources to help member hospitals understand the regulatory framework as they move toward development and implementation of one or more alternative payment models (APMs). The information includes:
What’s happening: On March 28, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) submitted a final draft of the Hospital Quality Assurance Fee (HQAF) program 9 fee and payment model to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). An internal, members-only version is available for members to review.
What else to know: The model should be considered a draft until the state receives official CMS approval, which is expected to take six to nine months. Learn more about the 2025 HQAF program 9 — including a brief history, a summary of changes, and the future landscape of the program — in our members-only webinar on April 7 at 9 a.m. (PT).
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On April 28, CHA issued an alert encouraging members to contact their congressional representative and request their support of H.R. 2455, The Resetting the Impact Act (TRIA) of 2021, which seeks to update the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014 by requiring the use of more recent, relevant data in future payment policy development.
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“Volunteerism is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mold the present into a future of which we can all be proud.” – Helen Dyer
This is a time of perseverance and gratitude.
These are two qualities you can see in any hospital in California — from the gritty, purposeful work of caregivers to the people who can barely find the right words to show appreciation for those who have given them a second chance at life.