To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.
June 1, 2015 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee
June 1, 2015 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee
May 5, 2015 - Oversight of the quality of care provided by Medi-Cal Managed Care (MMC) plans is an increasingly important issue for the Legislature to examine, as MMC enrollment and the geographic reach of MMC have grown significantly over the past decade. In this report, we analyze the quality of MMC plans and current DHCS efforts to improve MMC plan quality, and consider additional steps and alternative approaches, such as P4P, the state could take to monitor plans and stimulate quality improvement in MMC.
March 27, 2015 - This report provides background regarding CalTech’s IT project responsibilities, discusses common project challenges, describes how projects are currently managed in the state, comments on the administration’s plan to centralize project management, and makes recommendations on how the Legislature should proceed with implementing a centralized Project Management Office in California.
March 12, 2015 - Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services
March 11, 2015 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services
March 10, 2015 - Presented to Senate Human Services Committee and Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services
March 4, 2015 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
March 4, 2015 - Presented to Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee
March 4, 2015 - Presented to Assembly Committee on Health and Senate Committee on Health
February 25, 2015 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services
February 24, 2015 - This report evaluates the Governor's budget proposal to suspend the Interagency Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation Reports(ICAN) mandate. To address certain limitations in the Governor's proposal, we recommend the Legislature (1) adopt the Governor’s proposal but consider augmenting the grant program’s funding to increase the likelihood of county participation, (2) require local law enforcement agencies to carry out ICAN activities as a condition of receiving certain state allocations, and (3) develop a long-term plan to retire post-2004 mandate backlog, including ICAN claims.
February 12, 2015 - This report analyzes the Governor's 2015-16 state health program budget proposals. In the report, we review trends in the major health programs since 2007-08 (the last budget developed before the most recent recession), analyze the Governor's proposed restructuring of the managed care organization (MCO) tax, and describe the uncertainty regarding continued federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The report also includes an analysis of the Department of State Hospitals budget and an analysis of the Governor's proposals to improve quality and increase staffing for the Licensing and Certification (L&C) Program administered by the Department of Public Health.
February 12, 2015 - This report analyzes the Governor's 2015-16 human services budget proposals. First, we review major trends in human services programs since 2007-08 (the last state budget developed before the major recession) and find that total spending is up by 11 percent (in inflation-adjusted terms), with major changes in how programs are funded. Our report also analyzes the budgetary impacts and issues for the Legislature to consider given the uncertain legal status of new federal labor regulations affecting In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and the Department of Developmental Services. The report includes an analysis of the future of the state's developmental centers (DCs) and an analysis of the Governor's budget proposal to further reform the Community Care Licensing (CCL) program that oversees the licensing of child care, children's residential, and adult and senior care facilities. Finally, the report analyzes the Governor's budget proposal to implement 2 of 19 recommendations of a working group established by the Legislature to recommend reforms to the foster care system.
Proposed SSI/SSP figures corrected 3/11/15
January 22, 2015 - In 2012, the Legislature authorized the development and pilot implementation of a universal assessment tool (UAT) to streamline eligibility and level-of-need determinations for three home- and community-based services (HCBS) programs that provide care to seniors and people with disabilities. Our analysis finds that the benefits of a UAT likely outweigh the costs associated with its development. To ensure the UAT achieves the benefits of creating a more effective and efficient approach to HCBS assessment, we recommend: (1) legislation specifying intent to eventually use the UAT on a statewide basis, (2) development of an automated UAT customized to fit within California’s programmatic and policy environment, (3) piloting of county welfare departments and managed care plans as administrators of the UAT, and (4) a formal evaluation of the UAT pilot.