Report Planning for California’s Growing Senior Population By Hans Johnson, Laurel Beck Aug 6, 2015 California’s senior population is entering a period of rapid growth. By 2030, as the Baby Boom generation reaches retirement age, the over-65 population will grow by four million people. It will also become much more racially and ethnically diverse, with the fastest growth among Latinos and Asians. Many more seniors are likely to be single and/or childless—suggesting an increased number of people living alone. All of these changes will have a significant impact on senior support services. We project that by 2030 slightly more than one million seniors will require some assistance with self-care, and that the demand for nursing home care will begin to increase after decades of decline. These changes will have direct budget implications for the Medi-Cal and In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) programs, both of which pay for care and services for low-income seniors. The state will need additional resources, including nursing care facilities and health care professionals, especially those who provide home- and community-based services. California’s community college system will be critical in training workers to meet the state’s health care workforce needs for the growing and changing senior population.
Report Health Care for California’s Jail Population By Shannon McConville, Mia Bird Jun 18, 2014 The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has created a new opportunity for California to reach and enroll a medically vulnerable population—the jail population—in health insurance coverage. While inmates receive health care services from county jail systems while incarcerated, few have coverage after they are released from custody. Expansion of the state’s Medicaid program (Medi-Cal) under the ACA has extended insurance eligibility to much of the currently uninsured jail population. As a complement to the ACA, California recently signed into law Assembly Bill 720 (AB 720), which facilitates the use of jails as sites of health insurance enrollment. Increasing enrollment levels for the jail population holds the potential to reduce corrections costs, as well as improve public health and safety.
blog post The Uninsured and the Safety Net By Shannon McConville Apr 8, 2014 Open enrollment has ended, and projections suggest about 4 million Californians will still lack health insurance. They will continue to rely on county programs and safety net providers, such as health clinics and emergency departments.
blog post How Does Access to Care Affect Health? By Shannon McConville Mar 24, 2014 How will the expansion of Medi-Cal under the Affordable Care Act impact the medical care and health of those who gain coverage?
blog post Health Care and California’s Undocumented Immigrants By Shannon McConville Feb 25, 2014 Despite California’s embrace of federal health care reform, millions of Californians are expected to remain uninsured even five years from now. Undocumented immigrants are likely to be a large share of this uninsured group because they are excluded from coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
press release Medi-Cal Patients Are Heaviest Users of Emergency Departments — Majority of Visits May Be Avoidable Aug 19, 2008
