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

Mar 6, 2025 - Figure  10 shows the average number of Medi ‑Cal enrollees over 65 who are enrolled in Medi ‑Cal for the first time in their lives in four selected time periods —before the continuous coverage period, during continuous coverage but before the asset test phase out, the asset test phase ‑out period, and finally after elimination of the asset test.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5010

An Update on the Public Health Laboratory System After the Pandemic

Jun 12, 2025 - COVID-19 Pandemic Highlighted Testing Gaps Public Health Laboratories Faced Challenges Prior to COVID-19 Pandemic Overall State and Federal Funding for Public Health Remained Flat for Decade Prior to COVID-19.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5056

COVID-19: Federal Health-Related Response

Mar 23, 2020 - The following bullets highlight a number of the major programmatic flexibilities that DHCS sought through its initial 1135 waiver requests, and indicate if they have been approved or a federal decision remains pending: Approved: Streamline Provider Enrollment.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4209

The 2025-26 Budget: Medi-Cal Fiscal Outlook

Nov 20, 2024 - Below, we highlight three key issue areas in our Medi-Cal outlook as the Legislature prepares for, and considers, the upcoming Governor ’s budget. MCO Tax Federal Approval of Recent MCO Tax Increases Is Pending.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4941

A Long-Term Outlook: Disability Among California’s Seniors

Nov 28, 2016 - Seniors turning 65 between 2015 and 2019 who have greater than a high school education spend fewer years on average with one or more ADL limitations than seniors with a high school degree or GED credential and seniors with less than a high school education (4.2 years vs. 4.8 years and 5.8  years, respectively).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3509

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

May 6, 2021 - This post highlights the health-related provisions of the ARP Act that provide significant funding directly to state/local health care and public health agencies, rural hospitals, home- and community-based services (HCBS) programs, subsidized individual market health coverage programs, and public behavioral health services.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4425

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Health

Oct 16, 2025 - Reinstates an Asset Test. The spending plan reinstates the verification of assets, commonly referred to as an asset test, to determine Medi-Cal eligibility for seniors and persons with disabilities. Under the spending plan, seniors and persons with disabilities will need to verify that their countable assets do not exceed $130,000 per individual and $195,000 per couple.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5075

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

May 21, 2024 - COVID-19 Highlighted Disparities in Public Health Outcomes and Solution May Worsen Trend. The Future of Public Health funding also included specific funding for CDPH and LHJs to address disparities in health outcomes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4904

The 2026-27 Budget: Medi-Cal Analysis

Mar 2, 2026 - Other solutions included partially restoring the asset test for seniors and persons with disabilities, ending coverage of anti ‑obesity drugs, and ending supplemental payments for dental services in Medi ‑Cal.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5146

The 2021-22 Budget: California Department of Public Health's COVID‑19 Response [Publication Details]

Feb 5, 2021 - This publication describes how coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spending is reflected in the California Department of Public Health’s budget.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4347