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

Feb 5, 2025 - RAND used three approaches for estimating the shortage of beds: (1) surveying psychiatric facilities to gather data on bed occupancy, wait list volume, and other information; (2) convening an expert panel to estimate bed need based on available research; and (3) assessing national and state survey data concerning the prevalence of SMI to determine the regional variation in the need for beds.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4954

The 2025-26 Budget: Medi-Cal Pharmacy Spending

Apr 3, 2025 - To better simplify these data, we used each drug ’s classification as identified under the Food and Drug Administration ’s National Drug Code Directory . These classifications generally categorize drugs based on how they work, how they are used, and other factors.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5026

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

Mar 6, 2025 - Once the asset test was fully eliminated, first‑time‑enrolling seniors were more than twice the level as prior to the policy change. As shown in Figure 11, this growth in first‑time‑enrolling Medi‑Cal enrollees is unique to seniors.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5010

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

Mar 6, 2025 - In order to support the implementation of ECM and Community Supports, the state implemented the PATH initiative and the Incentive Payment Program (IPP) to help create and expand program infrastructure.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5003

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - This  would result in maintaining prior funding levels for these activities but would preclude this amount of Proposition  4 funds from supporting expanded service levels or additional projects. Spending and Tax Expenditure Proposals New Spending Proposals of Nearly $600   Million.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

The 2025-26 Budget: MCO Tax and Proposition 35

Feb 26, 2025 - These steps include: (1)  forming the stakeholder advisory committee; (2)  consulting with the newly formed committee; (3)  structuring the new augmentations; and (4)  where necessary, obtaining federal approval (such as by submitting permanent state plan amendments or limited-term waivers).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4992

The 2025-26 Budget: Health Care Access and Information

Feb 20, 2025 - While inflation has slowed, drug prices vary considerably, with some drugs orders of magnitude more expensive than others. Brand Name Drugs Tend to Cost Much More Than Generic Drugs … Companies that develop and patent new drugs have exclusive rights to sell their product for a limited period of time.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4979