The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Health

Oct 16, 2025 - The spending plan includes General Fund savings of $737  million in 2027-28 and $ 503  million in 2028-29 from operational improvements at DHCS. The administration has stated that it intends to hire one or multiple contractors to identify areas where operations could be improved to achieve savings, as well as to identify new ways to improve processes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5075

The 2025-26 Budget: CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports Implementation Update

Mar 6, 2025 - As plans, providers, and members have learned more about the benefit and DHCS made changes to policies to improve access to the benefit, utilization has increased. Community Supports utilization overall has steadily grown over the course of the demonstration.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5003

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

Oct 24, 2025 - While  our  assessment of the state ’s budget condition will be updated in November, recent state tax collections have improved since budget enactment. This gain, however, likely reflects an exuberant stock market, with the rest of the economy appearing fragile.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5083

The 2021-22 Budget: Analysis of CalAIM Financing Issues

Feb 16, 2021 - CalAIM Could Improve Managed Care Plan Fiscal Incentives to Deliver More Cost ‑Effective Care. Medi ‑Cal managed care plans receive a monthly payment, or “capitated rate, ” per member to cover the cost of the care they arrange and pay for on behalf of their members.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4374

The 2021-22 Budget: CalAIM: The Overarching Issues

Feb 9, 2021 - The objective is for ECM to play an important role in connecting high ‑risk, high ‑need members to the appropriate ILOS and other, more standard preventive services necessary for the improvement of health outcomes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4357

Enhancing Federal Financial Participation for Consumers Served by the Department of Developmental Services

Nov 9, 2021 - Providing more education and improved materials about Medi ‑Cal and the related Medicaid waiver program administered by DDS, such as by changing confusing terminology, translating forms currently provided only in English, hosting educational events, or improving training of RC staff.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4471

The 2022-23 California Spending Plan: Health

Oct 24, 2022 - A person referred to the CARE Court is called a “respondent. ” A respondent can be referred to the CARE Court by certain qualified members of the community, including family members and members of the person ’s household, licensed behavioral health professionals, and first responders who have had repeated interactions with the respondent.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4642

Impact of COVID-19 on Health Care Access

May 7, 2021 - For example, we continue to lack information on which health care providers have faced the greatest financial challenges under the pandemic and, accordingly, where provider financial relief from the state could go the farthest in maintaining access to care.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4426

Enhancing Federal Financial Participation for Consumers Served by the Department of Developmental Services—An Interim Update

Apr 19, 2021 - It requires us to provide options to address these barriers with the ultimate goal of increasing federal financial participation (FFP) for regional center (RC)-coordinated services. Our evaluation may consider opportunities for streamlining the enrol lment process and educating consumers and their families/representatives about Medi-Cal programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4415

The 2022-23 Budget: Health Care Access and Affordability

Feb 23, 2022 - These revisions include, for example, (1)  changes to the size of the internal board (from 11 members in last year ’s proposal to 8 members in the current proposal), (2)  the addition of authority for the affordability board —rather than the HCAI director —to approve health care cost targets, (3)  the addition of certain conditions under which cost targets could
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4560