The 2025-26 Budget: Health Care Access and Information

Feb 20, 2025 - As Figure  5 shows, however, as measured by the consumer price index, prescription drug cost inflation has slowed over the past 50 years. While drug inflation has tended to exceed overall inflation, this trend reversed in the last few years.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4979

The 2022-23 Budget: Health Care Access and Affordability

Feb 23, 2022 - Option 5 Households with incomes above 150 percent up to 250 percent of the FPL would be upgrade to more generous plans. $278 million to $322 million All deductibles would be eliminated. Option 6 No change for households at or below 200 percent of the FPL.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4560

The 2023-24 Budget: Assessment of Covered California Budget Solution

Feb 13, 2023 - Aside from premium subsidies, the program could provide other forms of financial assistance, such as reducing deductibles or other out-of-pocket expenses consumers might incur when receiving health care services.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4681

Considering Medi-Cal in the Midst of a Changing Fiscal and Policy Landscape

Oct 24, 2025 - In large part, this is because Medi ‑Cal providers could not refuse services to patients who did not pay their required out of pocket share. The state eliminated required copays a few years ago to simplify service delivery.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5083

The 2026-27 Budget: Medi-Cal Analysis

Mar 2, 2026 - For example, we estimated that a more proportionate tax netting around $7 billion in revenue could cost around $30 per member, per month—about a 5 percent increase on average to commercial health plan premiums.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5146

The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Developmental Services

Mar 13, 2026 - As Figure  2 shows, DDS caseload has increased notably over the last ten years, with an average annual growth rate of about 5  percent in total caseload from 2015 through 2025. This is faster than the population growth in the state over this period.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5157

The 2026-27 Budget: Medi-Cal Fiscal Outlook

Nov 19, 2025 - Our understanding is that California ’s hospital fee, which is pending federal approval for 2025, is at around 5  percent. This means that the state will need to gradually reduce the hospital fee in the future to comply with the new limit.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5092

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Health

Oct 16, 2025 - Moreover, the spending plan includes General Fund reductions for operational efficiencies of $5  million in 2025-26, $6  million in 2026-27, and $2  million in 2027-28 and ongoing and for modified reporting requirements of $1.5  million in 2025-26 and ongoing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5075

Issues That Could Impact Californians' Health Care Coverage in 2023 and Beyond

Dec 16, 2022 - Notably, the Governor recently vetoed a bill that woul d have used the funding to provide further financial assistance in 2023 and 2024 to reduce out ‑of ‑pocket costs for consumers including reducing copayments and eliminating deductibles.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4654

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

Mar 6, 2025 - The Governor ’s 2025 ‑26 budget proposes ECM spending at $956  million (total funds) and Community Supports spending at $231  million (total funds), a $67  million (7.5  percent) and $11  million (5  percent) increase over revised 2024 ‑25 levels, respectively.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5003