The 2021-22 Budget: Analysis of CalAIM Financing Issues

Feb 16, 2021 - Whether the state would be required to fund the additional costs counties may bear for these reforms is unclear. County Inmate Eligibility Processes Could Increase Medi ‑Cal Caseload and Represent a Reimbursable County Mandate.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4374

The 2021-22 Budget: CalAIM: The Overarching Issues

Feb 9, 2021 - For example, CalAIM involves a broad array of new requirements on county partners (who play a key role in administering and delivering various services available through Medi ‑Cal). Specifically, CalAIM would make various changes that affect county responsibilities, such as ( 1)  t he transfer of responsibility for covering specialty mental health services in two
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4357

The 2021-22 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 10, 2021 - These include: $750  Million to Strengthen County “Behavioral Health Continuum. ” As described earlier, the Governor proposes $750  million General Fund —made available over three years —for competitive grants to counties to purchase or renovate real estate for behavioral health facilities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4309

The 2021-22 Budget: Medi-Cal Fiscal Outlook

Nov 18, 2020 - Assume Statutorily Scheduled Expiration of Managed Care Organization (MCO) Tax For a number of years, the state has imposed a tax on MCOs ’ Medi ‑Cal and commercial lines of business. The state ’s previous MCO tax expired at the end of 2018 ‑19 and, in 2019 ‑20, the Legislature reauthorized the MCO tax in similar but not identical form to the prior tax.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4299

Update on COVID-19 Spending in California

Nov 5, 2020 - (While not included in this post, Los Angeles County also received direct CDC allocations, totaling $336.6  million.) Approximately 60  percent of California ’s allocation flowed from CDPH to local governments (not including Los Angeles County due to its direct allocation).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4292

The 2020-21 Spending Plan: Health Budget and Policy [Publication Details]

Oct 15, 2020 - These actions include the offsetting of what would otherwise be General Fund costs with (1) revenues from the federally approved reauthorized tax on managed care organizations and (2) federal Medicaid funds that are being provided to the state at an enhanced level during the term of the public health emergency.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4281

The 2020-21 Spending Plan: Health Budget and Policy

Oct 15, 2020 - Provides Funding to Backfill Declines in County Realignment Revenues, Some of Which Could Fund County Behavioral Health Services . The spending plan includes $750  million from the General Fund in 2020 ‑21 to offset counties ’ declines in realignment sales tax revenues.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4281

Major Potential State Fiscal Risk Averted Following Withdrawal of Proposed Federal Medicaid Financing Regulation

Sep 21, 2020 - For example, MFAR effectively would have prohibited health care-related taxes that place different tax rates on taxpayers based on their levels of Medicaid (versus non-Medicaid) activity. In their current forms, both the hospital quality assurance fee and the MCO tax likely would have run afoul of these rule changes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4269

Federal COVID-19 Response Actions Affecting Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities

Apr 16, 2020 - While county social workers must still perform initial assessments to determine IHSS eligibility, they may do so using a telehealth option in lieu of face-to-face visits. Additionally, counties may suspend recipient annual reassessments through June 30, 2020.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4221

COVID-19: Federal Health-Related Response

Mar 23, 2020 - To relieve state budgetary pressure caused by COVID-19 ’s likely impacts on state Medicaid expenditures and tax revenues, Congress approved a temporary 6.2  percentage point increase in the federal government ’s share of cost for state Medicaid programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4209