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Overview
We appreciate your participation as a presenter for our upcoming California Hospital Volunteer Leadership Conference. Our conference is valuable to our members, in large part, because of the efforts and contributions from our stellar presenters.
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
Overview
We appreciate your participation as a presenter for our upcoming California Hospital Volunteer Leadership Conference. Our conference is valuable to our members, in large part, because of the efforts and contributions from our stellar presenters.
Older adults who experience acute health events – often exacerbations of chronic disease or co-morbidities – are regularly managed through services provided in multiple settings – hospital emergency departments, inpatient care, and post-acute care settings – and require several risky care transitions. These episodes are among the top drivers of health care costs and poor […]
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What’s happening: CHA has created frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the new Assembly Bill (AB) 1882 signage and reporting requirements that hospitals must meet by the end of the year. CHA will release more resources in early December to support members in implementation.
What else to know: Hospitals have until Jan. 1 to meet new signage and reporting requirements. The FAQs are intended to share the latest guidance from the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) and the best practices from the hospital field.
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Last week, America’s hospitals faced a challenging day in an appeals court in Washington, D.C., where a panel of judges appeared skeptical of legal arguments in the American Hospital Association’s (AHA’s) attempt to overturn a federal rule requiring hospitals to disclose confidential, privately negotiated payment rates with insurers — a fight we are in together.
If the rule is not struck down, it will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021. It is not clear when the court will issue a decision, but one is expected ahead of the effective date.
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Are health plans offering any relief during this time for prior authorizations, member cost sharing, or other policies?
Many health plans have announced they’re suspending prior authorization requirements and waiving cost sharing for certain services, as well as offering other temporary support.
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Over the past several months, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has finalized two significant regulatory packages — one pertaining to the salary basis test used in determining exempt status, and one pertaining to calculating the “regular rate” or overtime rate for non-exempt employees.
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On March 11, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued three documents updating its guidance on prioritizing individuals for the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition to providing important clarifications on the implementation of vaccines for people with high-risk medical conditions or disabilities, the guidance adds categories of individuals in specified settings who are eligible to be vaccinated due to their increased risk.
First, CDPH updated its Provider Bulletin to add the following individuals to those eligible to be vaccinated beginning March 15:
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When Congress created the 340B Drug Pricing Program over 25 years ago to help safety-net hospitals pay for prescription drugs, it set up a unique government program that costs taxpayers nothing but makes vital medications available to millions of uninsured and low-income patients.
By requiring participating Medicaid drug manufacturers to sell their outpatient drugs at discounted prices to providers in underserved communities, the 340B program has also created the ability to expand community health investments, which hospitals are able to make, in part, thanks to the savings they realize from discounted drug prices. These investments include programs like preventive health screenings and mobile clinics.
340B drug discounts are crucial to patients and hospitals in vulnerable communities. That’s why, when the program itself became vulnerable to state and federal proposals this year, CHA intensified efforts in both Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to protect 340B hospitals.
At the federal level, a proposal to reduce Medicare reimbursement rates for some 340B-covered drugs has been challenged by a lawsuit and, while a court has stalled the rate reduction, it hasn’t yet been ruled out. Meanwhile, CHA is urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to move forward with full retroactive adjustments that are not budget neutral for 340B hospitals.
In California, Gov. Newsom issued an executive order early this year creating a single drug purchasing system and transitioning the Medi-Cal pharmacy benefit out of managed care and into fee-for-service. This will impact some 20 hospitals in the 340B program — specifically, those that dispense 340B-purchased drugs to Medi-Cal managed care beneficiaries through their retail pharmacy will now be paid the actual acquisition cost of the drug plus a dispensing fee, which might be lower than what they are paid under managed care. We’re convening the affected hospitals to more fully understand the implications of the proposed changes.
As we keep a watchful eye on the outcome of proposals and changes for 340B hospitals, it is imperative that we ensure lawmakers understand the remarkable care that 340B hospitals provide with programs like expanded mental health services, urban and rural primary care clinics, transportation to medical appointments, and so much more — created specifically to meet their patients’ most pressing needs.
In the meantime, if your hospital participates in the 340B program and hasn’t yet signed on to the American Hospital Association’s 340B Good Stewardship Principles, we encourage you to do so. AHA has posted the names of hospitals that have committed so far, but it’s not too late to make the pledge. It’s an important step that more than 85% of California’s 340B-covered hospitals have already taken — a way of demonstrating their value to their communities and amplifying the importance of this essential program.
— Carmela
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The lifesaving and lifechanging hospital care upon which all Californians rely continues to remain at significant risk.