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December 5, 2001 - A member requested comprehensive review of the Department of Managed Health Care’s (DMHC) $30 million budget and its daily operations. We offer a series of options for further reform of the managed care industry, including licensing and certification of medical groups and expanded state review of HMO contracts for medical services
March 27, 2001 - Compliance with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) will require the health care industry to change processes and systems that will result in significant costs. We recommend that the Legislature approve the funding to support HIPAA compliance activities but recommend the enactment of state legislation providing an appropriate policy framework to govern HIPAA compliance activities.
February 24, 2001 - Index of Information Technology Issues in the Analysis of the Budget Bill, 2001-02
February 21, 2001 - Longer stays in foster care adversely impact children by reducing the time they spend in a permanent living situation. We recommend enactment of legislation to conduct a three-year pilot project whereby the treatment rates of foster family agency homes would incrementally decrease over time.
February 21, 2001 - We recommend that the Legislature direct the Department of Information Technology to report at budget hearings on the resources and time frames needed to conduct a study which (1) examines data centers' rates for nonmainframe activities, (2) identifies potential opportunities for specialization between the state's primary data centers, and (3) identifies data center functions that can be provided more efficiently by private industry.
February 21, 2001 - The Governor's budget proposes to establish a new fund--the Tobacco Settlement Fund--to be used for specific health programs. In the following pages, we summarize the initiative and discuss our findings and related recommendations.
February 14, 2001 - The new system for budgeting CalWORKs welfare-to-work services is flawed. Welfare-to-work services are potentially underfunded by as much as $120 million during 2000-01, and 10 counties do not have sufficient funds to provide necessary services for all families needing to become self-sufficient. We recommend enactment of legislation aimed at addressing these deficiencies.
February 6, 2001 - Realignment, enacted in 1991, transferred various mental health, health, and social services programs from the state to county control. It also altered program cost-sharing ratios, and provided counties with dedicated tax revenues to pay for these changes. Although realignment has been largely successful, we recommend implementation of several changes including a simplified allocation structure for new revenues that relies on a single formula.
February 1, 2001 - Our analysis indicates that no rational basis exists for setting Medi-Cal physician rates, and that current rates are lower than those paid by the federal Medicare Program and others. Commencing in 2002-03, we recommend that the state adjust rates based upon a comprehensive analysis of access to physician services and the quality of care provided to beneficiaries.
January 30, 2001 - The Children's Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) program's role as a "gateway" to the Healthy Families Program has never been fully established. We recommend several changes in California designed to reduce the number of uninsured children and promote comprehensive health coverage for low-income children.
January 24, 2001 - It appears that there are a number of potential benefits from e-government implementation. We raise, though, a number of concerns about the direction that the state is taking in this area. We also outline specific qualities to look for before approving future e-government proposals and identify policy issues to address.
December 14, 2000 - We outline the implementation issues and challenges with regard to Proposition 36, the "Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act of 2000." We also make several recommendations. In our view, planning must begin now in order to ensure the effective implementation of the measure.
March 29, 2000 - Handout accompanying testimony given to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance