The 2024-25 Budget: Medi-Cal Fiscal Outlook

Dec 7, 2023 - On the other hand, the continuous coverage requirement expired at the end of March  2023. This change restarted monthly county eligibility redeterminations beginning April 1, 2023, with the first enrollment terminations beginning July 1, 2023.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4820

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

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 2023-24 Budget: Medi-Cal Fiscal Outlook

Nov 16, 2022 - Budget Year (2023 ‑24) Outlook Anticipates Overall Spending Decline in 2023 ‑24. We project Medi ‑Cal General Fund spending to be $34.2  billion in 2023 ‑ 24 —a $1.3  billion decline from our revised 2022 ‑23 estimate.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4649

The 2023-24 Budget: Department of Developmental Services

Feb 15, 2023 - Below, we highlight  six  areas of particular interest for the Legislature: (1)  implementing service provider rate reform, (2)  addressing racial/ethnic and other disparities in the per ‑person amounts spent on services, (3)  complying with the federal HCBS final rule, (4)  complying with required service coordinator caseload ratios, (5)  encouraging employment opportunities for DDS consumers, and (6)  rolling out SDP.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4683

An Update on the Public Health Laboratory System After the Pandemic

Jun 12, 2025 - 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

Mental Health Services Act: LAO Update: The Governor's Revised Behavioral Health Modernization Proposal

Aug 21, 2023 - On August 15, 2023, a number of amendments were made to SB 326, some of which, at least in part, respond to issues raised in our initial posts. This post highlights three key issue areas from our prior analyses that are significantly impacted by the August 15th amendments: (1) county spending flexibility, (2) funding for children and youth services, and (3) the role of the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4792

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

Mar 6, 2025 - Geographic differences can highlight regional differences in capacity or infrastructure, while differences across MCPs can also indicate differences in program implementation. As shown in Figure  9 , most MCPs have less than a 1  percent utilization rate for both ECM and Community Supports.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5003

The 2024-25 Budget: Department of Developmental Services

Feb 13, 2024 - Below, we highlight three areas of particular interest for the Legislature. For  each, we provide background and updates on the implementation of recent initiatives. We also raise issues for legislative consideration.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4837

The 2023-24 California Spending Plan: Health

Oct 23, 2023 - Most of the delays shift funding from 2022-23 to 2023-24. As an exception, the budget delays most of the planned support in 2023-24 for a community health workers initiative into the following two years.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4810