The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Developmental Services

Mar 13, 2026 - The department stated that its budget projections for 2026 ‑27 do not incorporate any potential added costs due to the changes in H.R 1. Will the department be able to determine whether its costs increase in the future due to H.R. 1?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5157

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

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

The 2026-27 Budget: Medi-Cal Fiscal Outlook

Nov 19, 2025 - Why Does the Health Plan Tax Decline Under H.R. 1? Existing Health Plan Tax Disproportionately Taxes Medi ‑Cal Enrollment. The existing tax on health plans (also known as the Managed Care Organization Tax) charges rates on every monthly Medi ‑Cal and commercial enrollee.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5092

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

Mental Health Services Act: Revenue Volatility and the Governor’s Proposal to Reduce Allowable County Reserves

Jul 13, 2023 - When data show more variability in annual changes, they are said to be more volatile. One way to measure the variability in a data series is average deviation (AD). AD summarizes —for a given time period —how many percentage points the data in a series deviate from the average growth rate.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4780

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

Feb 5, 2025 - Strategies to do so have included expanding the behavioral health workforce; adding benefits and increasing rates in Medi ‑Cal; and increasing capacity through managed care plans, schools, and in other  settings.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4954

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

Apr 19, 2021 - This approach could come with added costs for RC operations. For example, RC staff likely would have to spend more time helping families through the process and likely would need more training to ensure they fully understand the Medi-Cal application process.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4415

The 2025-26 Budget: Health Care Access and Information

Feb 20, 2025 - One key reason why this initiative was able to move relatively quickly is that it used an existing program to distribute the product. The Naloxone Distribution Project, which is administered by DHCS, provides free naloxone products by request to hospitals, schools, law enforcement, and other public and community‑based organizations.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4979

Mental Health Services Act: Proposed Bond to Fund Behavioral Health Facilities and Veterans Housing

Aug 17, 2023 - The administration has indicated that the BHCIP is intended to ad dress the shortage in acute beds. The Legislature may wish to request more detail from the administration on how it plans to address the acute bed shortage.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4790