The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Developmental Services

Mar 13, 2026 - The APD process allows the state to request a 90  percent match in federal funding (rather than California ’s standard 50  percent match) to design, develop, and install IT systems that enable the state to more efficiently administer Medicaid benefits.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5157

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

May 6, 2021 - The federal government typically pays 50  percent or 56  percent of HCBS costs, with the state General Fund usually covering the nonfederal share. ARP Act Temporarily Enhances Federal Funding for State HCBS Program Improvements.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4425

The 2025-26 Budget: Understanding Recent Increases in the Medi-Cal Senior Caseload

Mar 6, 2025 - From July 2022 through September 2024, the caseload in the expansion to individuals age 50 and older —a group that is notably not limited to those age 65 and over —increased by about 120,000  individuals.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5010

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

Feb 5, 2025 - From the three ‑year period of 2008 ‑2010 to three ‑year period of 2017 ‑2019, the share of California adults with SMI increased by around 50  percent, with the share of California young adults with SMI nearly doubling over the period.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4954

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 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Health

Oct 16, 2025 - The spending plan implements prior authorization requirements for hospice services starting July 1, 2026, providing $50  million in General Fund savings in 2026-27 and ongoing. State Hospitals Reduces General Fund Spending.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5075

The 2026-27 Budget: Medi-Cal Fiscal Outlook

Nov 19, 2025 - Under H.R. 1, the federal match for these services will decrease from 90  percent to 50  percent for certain undocumented adults, requiring a backfill from the General Fund to maintain existing services.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5092

The 2025-26 Budget: Medi-Cal Pharmacy Spending

Apr 3, 2025 - The federal share of cost in each state generally is determined by a formula, with the share in California at 50 percent. Each state’s specific federal share (in California’s case, 50 percent) also applies to gross pharmacy costs and drug rebate savings, with some exceptions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5026

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