The state of California recently adopted their $310 billion 2023-24 state budget, and despite a $31.5 billion shortfall, leaders prioritized investments in healthcare. Key healthcare investments include CalAIM and a renewed Managed Care Organization (MCO) Tax. The budget includes a total of $156.6 billion to support the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Of this … Read more
The Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC), a statewide policy advocacy organization, recently held a webinar about data equity for Latinx and Indigenous communities in the state, known as “We Count!” Panelists highlighted the importance of disaggregated data collection when it comes to addressing disparities, and spoke to the importance of Senate Bill 435, … Read more
The California Health Care Affordability Board (HCAB), a decision-making body charged with setting statewide and sector-specific spending targets and approving key benchmarks, discussed the state’s action plan for addressing the consolidation of healthcare facilities during a meeting earlier this month. Katherine Gudiksen, executive director of Source on Healthcare Price and Competition under the University of … Read more
Earlier this year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency to accelerate resources to individuals experiencing homelessness. While the state continues to scramble to address this growing issue, Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs) Health Net and LA Care Health Plan are investing $114 million over the next few years to … Read more
A handful of hospital leaders from California discussed how these facilities have attempted to recover from losses in revenues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic at the 2023 Northern California State of Reform Health Conference. Primary topics of concern included decreased operating margins, workforce shortages, and the increased demand for care. Anne McLeod, president and CEO … Read more
As the California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom continue negotiations for the 2023-24 budget, which will be adopted on July 1st, Timi Leslie, leader of BluePath Health and Connecting for Better Health, seeks to overcome challenges of the lack of funding for health information exchanges (HIEs). Leslie told State of Reform that Connecting for Better … Read more
Members of major Medi-Cal health plans—Anthem Blue Cross and Health Net—spoke at the 2023 State of Reform Northern California Health Policy Conference about their preparations for Medi-Cal redeterminations. After a three-year pause in conducting redeterminations due to the public health emergency’s continuous coverage benefit, the state began its redetermination process on April 1st for beneficiaries … Read more
Several healthcare organization leaders discussed easing access to patient data and creating a stronger data sharing infrastructure, which could assist with improving care for patients, at the 2023 State of Reform Northern California Health Policy Conference. One caveat is ensuring the continued protection of patient privacy. Several panelists shared their personal experiences with the state’s … Read more
Last week, a bill to establish a unified healthcare financing system in the state of California passed the Senate by a vote of 30-9. Senate Bill 770 seeks to achieve a unified, statewide healthcare system that would offer a wide package of medical services, including behavioral health, pharmaceutical, dental, and vision benefits, and wouldn’t require … Read more
About one in six adults in California currently experience mental health challenges, while at the same time, rates of depression in adolescents have also increased. Health industry leaders banned together at the 2023 Northern California State of Reform Health Policy Conference to discuss the increasing need for behavioral healthcare, and the work their organizations are … Read more