The 2019-20 Budget: Analysis of the Governor’s Mental Health Workforce Proposal

May 9, 2019 - Uncertainty Around Whether Existing State Programs and Strategies Have Been Effective. Overall, existing state mental health workforce programs may have had some positive impact in increasing the overall number of mental health professionals throughout the state.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4031

The 2019-20 Budget: Analysis of the Carve Out of Medi-Cal Pharmacy Services From Managed Care

Apr 5, 2019 - Costs to Administer Pharmacy Services Would Shift From Managed Care Plans to the State, With Uncertain Net Fiscal Impact to the State. Most of the costs of administering the pharmacy services benefit would shift from managed care plans to the state, which we believe will require new state resources.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3997

Recent Changes to State and County IHSS Wage and Benefit Costs

Dec 14, 2018 - Beginning in 2019, the state participation cap will increase at the same time the state minimum wage increases. Specifically, once state min imum wage equals or exceeds $12.00 per hour, the state participation cap will always “float above, ” or exceed, the state minimum wage by $1.10.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3913

The 2019-20 Budget: Assessing the Governor’s Primary Care Physician Residency Proposals

May 9, 2019 - The state also can channel grant funding toward hospitals located in shortage areas of the state that do not yet have residency programs. We are also concerned about the inefficiency of the state operating two very similar grant programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4034

The 2019-20 Budget: Governor's Proposals for Infants and Toddlers With Special Needs

Feb 28, 2019 - Although federal law allows states to establish their own eligibility criteria for early intervention, it requires each state to identify and serve all children meeting these state ‑specific criteria.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3954

The 2019-20 Budget: Reorganization of the Division of Juvenile Justice

Apr 10, 2019 - When assessing the merits of the Governor ’s proposal, the Legislature should consider whether the proposed reorganization of DJJ is necessary to accomplish its stated goal of enabling the state to better provide youth offenders with the services they need to be successful when they are released from state supervision.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3998

Federal COVID-19 Response Actions Affecting Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities [Publication Details]

Apr 16, 2020 - This post summarizes key COVID-19 federal actions that affect aging- and disability-related state programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4221

The 2019-20 Budget: Analysis of the Department of Developmental Services Budget

Feb 25, 2019 - Minimum Wage Issues State Minimum Wage Increases. The Legislature has increased the state minimum wage several times over the past decade. Currently, the state minimum wage is $ 11 p er hour for businesses with 25 o r fewer employees and $ 12 p er hour for businesses with 26 o r more employees.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3952

The 2019-20 May Revision: Update to Governor's 1991 Realignment Proposals

May 29, 2019 - This reduced counties ’ costs for health care services for this population and increased state costs. In response, the state redirected health realignment funding to offset state costs in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4077

The 2019-20 Budget: Using Proposition 56 Funding in Medi-Cal to Improve Access to Quality Care

Feb 22, 2019 - State Imposes a Number of Access and Quality Standards on Medi ‑Cal Managed Care Plans. The state oversees Medi ‑Cal managed care plans ’ performance on a variety of state standards, including many related to access and quality.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3949