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.
Explainer Is College Worth It? By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Vicki Hsieh, Hans Johnson Mar 8, 2023 Rising college costs and a reluctance to take on debt lead many students and families to wonder if college will actually yield a brighter future with higher earnings and better jobs. In this explainer, we explore whether the benefits of a college degree outweigh the costs.
Report Modernizing California’s Education Data System By Jacob Jackson, Kevin Cook Nov 28, 2018 Unlike most other states, California lacks a data system that can follow students from K–12 schools to college and into the workforce. Linking data across sectors would help policymakers and educational leaders promote student success and institutional effectiveness.
Report Low-Income Students and School Meal Programs in California By Caroline Danielson Mar 12, 2015 School nutrition programs help improve nutrition among vulnerable children. In so doing, they help build a better future for these children and the state. Now that California is implementing the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), there is additional reason to make sure all students who are eligible for free or low-cost meals enroll in these programs. Along with English Learners and foster youth, low-income students—in other words, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals—are targeted for additional funds under the LCFF. This renewed focus on enrollment could also prompt further consideration of participation in school nutrition programs. This report looks at factors that might be linked to variations in student enrollment and participation in free or reduced-price meals. Not surprisingly, we find that districts with higher poverty rates identify higher levels of eligibility than wealthier districts. Low-income high school students appear to be enrolled at levels comparable to younger students, but students in elementary school districts are much more likely to participate in lunch programs than students in other types of districts. We also find that schools in districts with higher shares of foreign-born residents have modestly lower participation levels (but not identification of low-income students). Finally, we find evidence that schools with smaller enrollments are more successful than larger schools at identifying and serving low-income students. One way to further the goal of full enrollment among low-income students is to cut the large share of low-income students who must submit applications for free or reduced-price meals. Achieving this objective is arguably an important part of a larger state effort to integrate social safety net programs and services.
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.
Report Understanding the Reach of the California Earned Income Tax Credit By Tess Thorman Nov 13, 2023 State-designed and -funded tax credits for low-income families are a small but growing part of California’s anti-poverty portfolio. As policymakers explore ways to refine, increase, and supplement the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), they could benefit from knowing more about where and when the CalEITC and similar credits are claimed.
blog post Eviction Rates Plunged During the Early Part of the Pandemic By Joseph Herrera, Jennifer Paluch Mar 6, 2023 Early in the pandemic, policymakers took various steps to protect renters from the economic disruptions caused by COVID-19. Evictions in California have declined sharply, though the expiration of key tenant protections are expected to cause evictions to increase.
Report Health Conditions and Health Care among California’s Undocumented Immigrants By Paulette Cha, John Heintzman, Patricia Malagon Oct 25, 2023 In January 2024, Medi-Cal will expand to all low-income Californians, regardless of age or immigration status. Understanding chronic conditions among undocumented patients and the health services they tend to use can help the state prepare to meet the needs of new applicants.
blog post Many Low-Income Families Left Out of Federal Stimulus Benefits By Tess Thorman, Caroline Danielson, Sarah Bohn Apr 24, 2020 Federal stimulus checks during COVID-19 will reach an estimated four of five California families, but many of the lowest income families won’t get assistance.
