It is an understatement to say we are experiencing uncertain times for the health care field, hospitals, and the patients we serve — and in particular, the threat of federal and state Medicaid funding cuts and the impact they could have. That’s why the Hospital Council Board of Directors meeting, which took place on April 1 in Sacramento, was an opportunity to help strengthen our collective response and build essential relationships among hospital leaders. Mutual support and communication are needed more than ever.
A central topic of discussion was the growing uncertainty around Medicaid funding. We heard directly from CEOs of Partnership HealthPlan, Health Plan of San Joaquin, and Santa Clara Family Health Plan who shared concerns about the potential scale and impact of cuts. Already, we are seeing public health departments, community clinics, and federally qualified health centers experiencing clawbacks of millions of dollars in grants and federal Health and Human Services’ funding. This signals a troubling trend. The situation mirrors the demands experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when hospitals were called upon to fill gaps typically managed by public health entities. Hospital Council is actively monitoring developments and preparing to advocate on behalf of our members. Also, the California Hospital Association (CHA) issued a member alert this week calling on hospitals to engage their Congressional representatives about the threat to Medicaid. To support hospitals in this effort, CHA developed an array of resources, including messaging guidance, advocacy materials, talking points, and more.
We also heard from Robert Imhoff, president of the Hospital Quality Institute (HQI), who provided an overview of Assembly Bill 1204, which mandates extensive, annual equity reports from hospitals starting Sept. 30. HQI is offering a powerful solution through the Hospital Quality Improvement Platform (HQIP) that can pre-fill a majority of the report’s required fields using existing data, saving time and reducing workload. Hospitals should begin preparing now by enrolling in HQIP.
Finally, we reflected on the success of our Power Resiliency Project, which has significantly improved hospitals’ preparedness for Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). Since the crisis in 2019, when more than 90 hospitals faced extensive power outages, our advocacy has led to hospitals being designated as “critical customers,” resulting in a 99.4% reduction in PSPS-related disruptions. In 2024, our measures ensured that only one hospital required a pre-staged generator during a wildfire, with zero PSPS delays.
These discussions highlight the need for a united voice, innovative solutions, and forward-looking strategies — we are better together. Hospital Council remains dedicated to supporting our member hospitals through these evolving challenges and will continue to advocate for policies that enhance the health and well-being of our communities.