Who Regulates Hospitals in California?

The State of California Department of Public Health, Licensing and Certification, and the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare both license and regulate California's hospitals. The agencies partner with additional private and public agencies to pilot treatment programs, service improvements and perform inspections.

California Agencies

• California's Department of Public Health issues licenses to hospitals. Its Licensing and Certification service inspects hospitals to verify state and federal standards are met. It also processes complaints. The California Department of Health Care Services regulates what hospitals may charge for services to recipients of the state-run Medicaid program, called Medi-Cal in California.

Medicaid and Medicare

• The federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) licenses hospitals that want to participate as providers under Medicare or Medicaid. California's Licensing and Certification performs most of the licensing inspections and paperwork. CMS regulates how much hospitals may charge for services provided to Medicare recipients.

JCAHO

• Hospitals may also receive accreditation and compliance surveys from nationally recognized private organizations such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The JCAHO is a non-profit organization that certifies hospitals and also conducts regular inspections to ensure hospitals continue to meet licensing standards.