Staff
Mark Newton
(916) 319-8323
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Health, Developmental Services, and Technology
Jason Constantouros
(916) 319-8322
Medi-Cal/Managed Care/Family Health/Health Care Affordability and Workforce Development
Brian Metzker
(916) 319-8354
Privacy, Security, and Technology
Ryan Miller
(916) 319-8356
Medi-Cal/Behavioral Health/Covered California/CalHHS Agency Issues
Angela Short
(916) 319-8309
Child Welfare, Child Support, Community Services and Development, Community Care Licensing, CalSTRS
Karina Hendren
(916) 319-8352
Medi-Cal/Long-Term Care/Developmental Services
Will Owens
(916) 319-8341
Public Health/Behavioral Health/State Hospitals
Sonia Schrager Russo
(916) 319-8361
CalWORKs/CalFresh
Juwan Trotter
(916) 319-8358
In-Home Supportive Services/Aging Programs
Ginni Bella Navarre
(916) 319-8342
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Human Services and Governance


Publications

Health and Human Services

To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.



Report

Building California’s Behavioral Health Infrastructure: Progress Update and Opportunities for the Proposition 1 Bond

February 5, 2025 - This report assesses $1.8 billion in behavioral health infrastructure grants awarded in 2022 and 2023 to help the Legislature conduct oversight over $4.4 billion in additional grants funded by the Proposition 1 bond expected to be awarded beginning May 2025.


Report

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

January 13, 2025 - Update (1/16/25): A set of tables detailing various solutions and proposals has been appended to the online version of this report. They are available using the HTML link above.

On January 10, 2025, Governor Newsom’s administration presented its proposed state budget to the California Legislature. In this report, we provide a brief summary of the Governor’s budget based on our initial review as of January 12. In the coming weeks, we will analyze the plan in more detail and release many additional issue-specific budget analyses. For those additional analyses, please see our budget page.


Report

CalFacts 2024

December 2, 2024 - CalFacts presents a wide range of facts and trends about the state's economy, finances, and programs.


Post

The 2025-26 Budget: Medi-Cal Fiscal Outlook

November 20, 2024 - This post provides our annual fiscal outlook for General Fund spending in Medi-Cal. It summarizes our projections, describes the major factors driving our projections, and highlights key uncertainties.


Post

The 2024-25 California Spending Plan: Health

September 17, 2024 - This post summarizes spending on health programs in the 2024-25 budget package.


Handout

Proposition 35: Provides Permanent Funding for Medi-Cal Health Care Services. Initiative Statute.

August 13, 2024 - Presented to: Senate Committee on Health Assembly Committee on Health


Handout

Proposition 34: Restricts Spending of Prescription Drug Revenues by Certain Health Care Providers. Initiative Statute.

August 13, 2024 - Presented to: Senate Committee on Health Assembly Committee on Health


Post

The 2024-25 Budget: The MCO Tax Package at May Revision

May 22, 2024 - This post provides our initial assessment of the Governor’s proposed managed care organization (MCO) tax package in the May Revision. It first provides background on the MCO tax and the package that was in place at Governor’s budget. (The Governor’s budget included a plan to implement a multiyear spending framework that was adopted in last year’s budget.) Next, it summarizes the proposed changes at May Revision. It then provides our initial assessment and recommendations.


Post

The 2024-25 Budget: Future of Public Health Budget Solution

May 21, 2024 - The proposed elimination to the Future of Public Health funding very likely would adversely impact the ability of the California Department of Public Health and local health jurisdictions to maintain the effort to improve public health made since the pandemic. The Legislature might consider whether there is a middle ground between fully eliminating and fully maintaining the Future of Public Health funding. We note that any reduction to the size of the public health budget solution would however require a budget solution of an equivalent amount elsewhere in the budget.


Handout

Physician Rates in Medi-Cal

May 6, 2024 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No.1 on Health


Handout

Overview of the Public Behavioral Health System in California

April 22, 2024 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health


Post

The 2024-25 Budget: Department of Health Care Access and Information

February 27, 2024 - This post provides an overview of the Governor’s proposed budget for the Department of Health Care Access and Information, analyzes proposals around health care workforce programs, and provides an implementation update to two recently enacted hospital relief programs.


Brief

The 2024-25 Budget: Medi-Cal Analysis

February 14, 2024 - This brief provides an overview of the Governor’s proposed budget for Medi-Cal; describes key trends in Medi-Cal caseload; and analyzes proposals around the managed care organization tax, provider payment increases, and other budget solutions.


Brief

The 2024-25 Budget: Department of Developmental Services

February 13, 2024 - This brief provides an overview of the Governor’s proposed budget for the Department of Developmental Services and analyzes proposals to delay service provider rate reform and create a new Master Plan for Developmental Services. We then raise oversight issues for legislative consideration.


Post

The 2024-25 Budget: Medi-Cal Fiscal Outlook

December 7, 2023 - This post provides our annual fiscal outlook for General Fund spending in Medi-Cal. It summarizes our projections, describes the major factors driving our projections, and highlights key uncertainties.