Report The Impact of Health Insurance on Poverty in California By Caroline Danielson, Patricia Malagon, Shannon McConville Mar 27, 2023 The Affordable Care Act has helped millions of Californians gain health insurance over the past decade. In addition to improving access to care, the ACA has increased financial well-being. This analysis focuses on the significant contribution of publicly funded health coverage—particularly Medi-Cal—to family resources across the state.
blog post Counties Are Key Partners in the Medi-Cal Program By Shannon McConville Feb 8, 2024 County governments play an important role in administering Medi-Cal and organizing and delivering health services. We look at how counties' Medi-Cal responsibilities—as well as the resources available to carry them out—have shifted over the past decade, a period that has seen the state significantly expand program eligibility.
blog post As Medi-Cal Enters a Post-Pandemic Phase, Keeping Eligible Californians Enrolled Is a Key Concern By Caroline Danielson, Shannon McConville Apr 11, 2023 Following a three-year pause during COVID, California counties are restarting annual eligibility reviews for the Medi-Cal program. Some who lose Medi-Cal will become uninsured, likely leading to a small but notable increase in poverty in the state.
Report Medi-Cal Expansion and Children’s Well-Being By Paulette Cha, Shannon McConville Nov 13, 2019 The Affordable Care Act allowed California to expand Medi-Cal to most low-income adults. Evidence indicates that access to health insurance improves the finances and behavioral health of adults—and that these improvements could benefit children.
Occasional Paper, Report Medi-Cal Expenditures: Historical Growth and Long Term Forecasts By Hans Johnson, Thomas E. MaCurdy, Margaret O’Brien-Strain, Raymond Chan Jun 13, 2005 This paper addresses three questions to assess the fiscal challenges Medi-Cal may pose in the future for California policymakers: First, how much are Medi-Cal costs likely to grow over the next decade in the absence of policy changes? Second, how will this growth compare to revenue growth? And third, what factors are driving Medi-Cal costs? To answer these questions this paper forecasts the expected costs of the Medi-Cal program through 2015, as well as examines the forces underlying recent growth in Medi-Cal expenditures.
blog post Focus on Medi-Cal Funding By Shannon McConville Jul 17, 2015 Regardless of how the legislature addresses Med-Cal funding in the special session, the state faces the challenge of establishing a stable and sustainable state funding base for the program.
blog post Medi-Cal Has Expanded Health Coverage in California By Shannon McConville, Shalini Mustala Jan 17, 2024 Over the past ten years, the expansion of Medi-Cal has been a key driver of health coverage gains under the federal Affordable Care Act. Federal policy responses during the COVID-19 public health emergency also boosted Medi-Cal enrollment, though it has declined with the resumption last year of regular eligibility checks.
blog post Medi-Cal and the Fall Election By Shannon McConville, Paul Warren Dec 8, 2016 Three initiatives passed in November provide up to $3 billion in additional funds for Medi-Cal each year. But their impact will depend on questions yet to be answered.
Report Expanding Medi-Cal: Profiles of Potential New Users By Helen Lee, Shannon McConville Aug 3, 2011 Millions of Californians will gain access to Medi-Cal under upcoming federal health care reform. This report finds that the majority of today’s uninsured poor are relatively young and healthy – good news from a cost perspective. But at least 25 percent could have substantial health issues. Understanding their needs is critical to preparing for health care reform. Survey data and focus group interviews round out this portrait of California’s potential new users of Medi-Cal. Supported with funding from the California Program on Access to Care.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Health Conditions and Health Care among California’s Undocumented Immigrants By Paulette Cha, John Heintzman, Patricia Malagon, Stephanie Barton Oct 25, 2023 Knowing how undocumented patients use health care can help California plan for future care and costs as Medi-Cal expands to all low-income residents. Visits to community clinics indicate that undocumented patients have similar chronic diseases to current Medi-Cal patients and get preventive services such as screenings and shots at similar or better rates.
