Hospitals

2019 Edition — California Hospitals

California’s general acute care (GAC) hospitals discharged 3.8 million patients and had 45 million outpatient visits in 2017. This quick reference guide provides an overview of the state’s GAC hospitals, including number of beds, use of services, and selected financial measures.

California’s Surprise-Billing Law Influences Federal Approach

December 16, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Coverage Trends, Health Care Costs

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Recent developments in Washington suggest that a bipartisan solution for surprise medical bills is within reach — a development that may have been influenced by reforms passed in Sacramento.

Surprise Medical Billing Might Get a Hybrid Solution

December 12, 2019

Billy Wynne, Dawn Joyce

Health Care Costs, Coverage Trends

A federal policy to protect patients from surprise medical bills eluded Congress in 2019, but a new compromise may lead to a solution.

Health Affairs’ Rural Health Issue Has Special Relevance to California

December 9, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Behavioral Health, Maternal Health, Workforce

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Millions of Americans in rural areas face significant barriers to care and in almost every state are burdened with higher mortality rates than people in urban areas.

Missed Opportunities in Serious Illness Care

October 31, 2019

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care

A California physician shares lessons learned from compelling experiences as a palliative care specialist.

Headphones On: What We’re Listening To

October 21, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Health Care Costs, Payment & Financing

Stories That Caught Our Attention: A growing number of podcasters are producing sophisticated audio storytelling about health policy and the health care system.

Highly Anticipated Trial to Determine If Consolidation Is Driving Up Costs

October 14, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Health Care Costs

Stories That Caught Our Attention: A landmark antitrust case that is playing out in San Francisco Superior Court will determine whether Sutter Health has exploited its market dominance in Northern California to squash competition and drive up health care prices.

Market Consolidation on Trial

October 3, 2019

Kristof Stremikis

Health Care Costs, Payment & Financing

On the eve of a trial over alleged anticompetitive practices by a California health care system, a new CHCF study traces the correlation between health industry consolidation and prices paid by consumers.

When It Comes to C-Sections, All Hospitals Are Not the Same

September 30, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Maternal Health, Medi-Cal

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Take a look at America's cesarean section capital to see how challenging it is to reduce surgical childbirth for low-risk, first-time mothers.

Deadly Policy Change Blindsides Immigrants with Severe Illnesses

September 9, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Stories That Caught Our Attention: After being widely criticized, the Trump administration has partially backtracked on its decision to stop protecting immigrants from deportation while they receive lifesaving medical care. However, the future of the medical deferred action program remains uncertain.

‘Treat Me Like a Person’: What We’ve Heard So Far from Californians with Low Incomes

August 16, 2019

Medi-Cal, Workforce

A new research project is exploring how Californians in the safety net experience their health care and what they hope to get out of their encounters.

CIN Connections, Summer 2019 — Leadership for Continuous Change and Improvement

With rising costs, increasing burnout, and a rapidly changing environment, health care leaders may feel like they’re facing an uphill battle. This summer 2019 issue of CIN Connections features tips, advice, and actionable information for health care leaders to effectively lead change in their organizations.

How California Can Finally Close In on Meaningful Health Price Transparency

Kristof Stremikis

Health Care Costs

For more than a decade, state and federal policymakers have argued for greater health care price transparency. Their efforts received a push in recent weeks.

How to Pay for It: MAT for Hospitalized Patients

Payment & Financing

Expanding access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in hospitals is critical, given how often patients have a secondary diagnosis of opioid use disorder. This paper describes how MAT is reimbursed in acute inpatient settings and addresses three areas for payment.

Committed Physician Recruits Young People to Diversify Health Care Workforce

Heather Stringer

Jocelyn Freeman Garrick, a no-nonsense doctor from Oakland’s Highland Hospital, is on the lookout for youth from families with low incomes who could become future nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, and more.