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

The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Developmental Services

Mar 13, 2026 - RCs are responsible for providing assessments and diagnoses to determine eligibility; this process can include a review of an applicant ’s records as well as tests performed by doctors and/or psychologists.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5157

An Update on the Public Health Laboratory System After the Pandemic

Jun 12, 2025 - State Public Health Laboratory Provides Enhanced Testing Services and Local Public Health Laboratory Support. The state public health laboratory has six branches that specialize in different testing services, and in 2023, five of these were reorganized into the Center of Laboratory Sciences (CLS), which provides direct oversight of almost all state laboratory testing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5056

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 2026-27 Budget: Department of Developmental Services [Publication Details]

Mar 13, 2026 - Analyzes the Governor’s budget for the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), with a focus on a budget proposal to continue planning the proposed Life Outcomes Improvement System (LOIS) information technology project, implementation of new H.R.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5157

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

May 6, 2021 - Funding to Community Health Centers for Testing, Contact Tracing, and Vaccine Administration. Community health centers are a major provider of safety net primary care services in California. The ARP Act provides $7.6  billion nationwide for health centers for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, testing, and contact
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4425

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 2022-23 California Spending Plan: Health

Oct 24, 2022 - COVID-19 Testing in Schools. The spending plan includes $200  million General Fund in 2021-22 for the state to directly purchase COVID-19 tests for schools and $102  million General Fund ($405  million total funds) in 2022-23 for schools to bill Medi-Cal for COVID-19 testing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4642

The 2024-25 California Spending Plan: Health

Sep 17, 2024 - Continues Funding for Sickle Cell Centers for Excellence. The 2019-20 Budget Act provided a $15  million one-time General Fund to support the Networking California Sickle Cell Care Initiative which established a number of sickle cell disease centers across the state.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4930

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

Apr 19, 2021 - Medi-Cal is a means-tested program. In the DDS context, slightly more than 20  percent of consumers enrolled in Medi-Cal arrive through the income-eligibility pathway, including children whose families are income-eligible for Medi-Cal.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4415