The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Developmental Services

Mar 13, 2026 - Questions to ask the administration at budget hearings could include the following: Is there a role for RCs to educate individuals and families served on the upcoming changes from H.R 1.? If so, how would DDS oversee this effort?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5157

Considering Medi-Cal in the Midst of a Changing Fiscal and Policy Landscape

Oct 24, 2025 - …But Potentially With Added Complexity. Adding more flexibilities also could come with the potential downside of more complexity for beneficiaries and counties. For example, exempting high unemployment counties from work requirements could create more volatility.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5083

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

Feb 5, 2025 - We suggest questions the Legislature can ask the administration in conducting oversight over this aspect of BHCIP. Awards Could Be Better Aligned With Needs. Limited data on facility capacity poses challenges for assessing awards made for most facility types.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4954

The 2026-27 Budget: Medi-Cal Analysis

Mar 2, 2026 - One possible reason for our higher estimate is that our model reflects not only disenrollment among current enrollees, but also reduced enrollment flows over time and a persistent risk of disenrollment among eligible individuals due to added administrative burden.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5146

Mental Health Services Act: Impact of Governor's Proposal on Funding for Children and Youth

Aug 10, 2023 - We recommend the Legislature work with the administration to answer a number of key questions to help establish whether the proposal meets l egislative goals for MHSA. Questions to ask the administration include: What is the estimated impact of the administration ’s proposal on current MHSA-funded county children and youth mental health services programs?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4786

The 2025-26 Budget: Health Care Access and Information

Feb 20, 2025 - Despite these initial successes, three key questions remain about CalRx: When Will the Products Become Available to Consumers? As of this analysis, neither CalRx product is available directly to consumers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4979

The 2021-22 Budget: LAO Preliminary Comments on the May Revision Medi-Cal Budget

May 21, 2021 - Given our outstanding questions about the clinical effectiveness and fiscal impact of telehealth expansions, we find that it is premature to establish a permanent Medi ‑Cal telehealth policy. Accordingly, the Legislature could consider adding a sunset date (several years into the future) to the proposed statutory change to allow for evaluation of the proposed
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4436

The 2020-21 Budget: Re-Envisioning Medi-Cal—The CalAIM Proposal

Feb 28, 2020 - Depending on how the state ’s policy on cost ‑effectiveness is formulated, there is a distinct possibility that adding ILOS benefits ultimately could come with significant ongoing net costs to the state.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4185

The 2025-26 Budget: Understanding Recent Increases in the Medi-Cal Senior Caseload

Mar 6, 2025 - In the paragraphs that follow, we provide our analysis that results in ou r estimate of at least 165,000 seniors being added due to eligibility expansions since 2020. (As a consequence of this estimate, it follows naturally that we estimate up to 60,000  seniors being added due to the effects of continuous coverage, the unwinding, and unwinding flexibilities, for a total increase of 225,000 seniors due to policy changes.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5010

COVID-19: American Rescue Plan’s Major Health-Related Funding Provisions

May 6, 2021 - The ARP Act also makes available $15  million in planning grant funding available nationwide for states to develop strategies (such as Medicaid state plan amendments or amendments to federal Medicaid waivers) for adding mobile crisis services to their state Medicaid programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4425