California Weighs Penalties for Healthcare Providers That Don’t Rein In Costs
About half of U.S. adults say they can’t afford healthcare. California is among at least eight states that have set spending growth targets for the healthcare sector. It may soon impose enforcement penalties aimed at pushing hospitals and other providers to meet those goals.
California is considering imposing penalties on healthcare providers that fail to control healthcare costs. The state Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) is proposing fines that could reach up to 125% of the amount spent above state growth targets. Hospitals, medical groups, insurers, and others could face penalties up to $500,000 per day if they do not meet the targets.
Seven hospitals with high spending are set to face even stricter targets, ranging from 1.8% to 1.6% growth by 2029. Consumer advocates believe that financial deterrents are essential to alleviate the financial burden on millions of Californians facing high insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. However, the powerful hospital industry has challenged the spending limits, arguing that they are unreasonable.
Hospitals warn that such penalties could lead to cuts in vital services, including emergency rooms, obstetrics, and behavioral health. The state will consider factors such as a healthcare entity's financial situation, market impact, and the severity of violations when imposing penalties. The affordability office's board must adopt the penalties and is expected to do so at its Aug.
26 meeting. The first penalties could be imposed in 2028, after two years of collecting and reporting spending data. California is among several states that have set healthcare spending targets, but no state has yet applied the penalties.
Written by urgent.news from KFF Health News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
