Health and Human Services Publications

The 2022-23 Budget: CalHR California Leads Proposal

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February 28, 2022 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s proposal to provide resources to the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to implement specific proposals recommended by a taskforce established by the Governor aimed at finding ways to make the state a better employer. In addition, the proposal would seek to improve statewide data on the workforce to inform a statewide diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. We recommend that the Legislature approve the proposal and encourage the Legislature to exercise legislative oversight of the process to ensure that the administration’s policies meet legislative objectives and priorities.

The 2022-23 Budget: Health Care Access and Affordability

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February 23, 2022 - This brief focuses on access to health insurance coverage and the affordability of health care costs. We (1) assess various Governor’s proposals intended to improve health care access and/or affordability—including expanding Medi-Cal eligibility to undocumented residents between ages 26, reducing Medi-Cal premiums to zero cost, establishing the Office of Health Care Affordability, and reducing the cost of insulin through a state partnership; (2) discuss options to improve affordability of health plans purchased through Covered California; and (3) highlight some key access and affordability challenges that remain to address.

Correction (2/24/22): Figure 2 - Number of undocumented residents has been corrected.

The 2022-23 Budget: Analysis of Child Welfare Proposals and Program Implementation Updates

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February 22, 2022 - California’s children and family programs include an array of services to protect children from abuse and neglect and to keep families safely together when possible. This analysis: (1) provides program background; (2) outlines the Governor’s proposed 2022-23 budget for children and family programs, including child welfare services and foster care programs; (3) provides implementation updates on a number of programs that were funded in 2021-22; and (4) raises questions and issues for the Legislature to consider as it evaluates the budget proposal.

The 2022-23 Budget: California Department of Technology

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February 22, 2022 - This post provides background on the California Department of Technology's cost recovery model and rate development process for IT services, evaluates related Governor's budget proposals and available information on a proposed rate re-evaluation process, and offers our recommendations to the Legislature.

The 2022-23 Budget: Analysis of Child Support Program Proposals

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February 18, 2022 - This brief describes the Governor's 2022-23 budget proposals for the child support program and provides comments and recommendations to the Legislature.

The 2022-23 Budget: Public Health Foundational Support

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February 16, 2022 - This brief analyzes the Governor’s proposed spending plan for a $300 million ongoing General Fund augmentation for the California Department of Public Health, describes merits of the proposed plan and identifies ways it could be strengthened, and offers issues for legislative consideration.

Overview of the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative

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February 16, 2022 - Assembly Committee on Communications and Conveyance

The 2022-23 Budget: California Food Assistance Program

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February 11, 2022 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s proposal to provide food assistance to currently ineligible immigrants aged 55 and older. First, we provide some essential background on California’s food assistance programs, then we describe the Governor’s proposed expansion, and finally provide an analysis of the proposal as well as issues for legislative consideration.

The 2022-23 Budget: Analysis of the Governor’s CalWORKs Proposals

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February 11, 2022 - In this post, we provide some basic background on the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, an update on recent program changes and caseload trends, and an overview of the Governor’s CalWORKs budget proposals.

The 2022-23 Budget: Update on Home- and Community- Based Services Spending Plan

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February 10, 2022 - This post provides an update on the state's home- and community-based services spending plan, which was conditionally approved by the federal government in January 2022. We describe the quarterly updates the state will need to provide the federal government and ways to ensure legislative oversight over implementation of HCBS spending plan.

The 2022-23 Budget: Analysis of the Medi-Cal Budget

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February 9, 2022 - This brief analyzes the Governor’s budget proposal for Medi-Cal. We include an analysis of the administration’s caseload projections, provide options for renewing the managed care organization tax (that the Governor proposes to let expire), and provide our assessment of the discretionary budget proposals to provide equity and practice transformation payments and eliminate certain existing provider payment reductions.

The 2022-23 Budget: Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) Program

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February 2, 2022 - This post summarizes the Governor’s budget assumptions and proposals related to the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) program, including the Governor’s intent to increase SSP grants in 2023-24. The post also summarizes other SSI/SSP goals the Legislature could pursue relative to the intended 2023-24 SSP grant increase.

The 2022-23 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services

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February 2, 2022 - This post describes the Governor’s budget assumptions and proposals related to the In-Home Supportive Services program and offers relevant issues for Legislative consideration.

Update (2/7/22): Time requirement for incentive payment to IHSS providers in the state’s HCBS spending plan has been updated.

The 2022-23 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

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January 13, 2022 - On January 10, 2022, Governor Newsom presented his proposed state budget to the Legislature. In this report, we provide a brief summary of the proposed budget based on our initial review. In the coming weeks, we will analyze the plan in more detail and release several additional budget analyses.

Update (1/21/22): Includes a corrected estimate of Governor’s Budget proposals that are excludable under the State Appropriations Limit (SAL).

Overview of Funding for the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act

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December 15, 2021 - Presented to: Assembly Committee on Judiciary Assembly Committee on Health