Report Rethinking the State-Local Relationship: Social Services By Caroline Danielson Feb 20, 2013 California lawmakers may soon consider realigning some of the state’s largest social safety net programs. Their deliberations are being driven in part by federal health care reform—which will reduce the number of uninsured residents and reshape the county-run health safety net. This report examines federal, state, and local relationships in the social services arena and outlines key issues for policymakers to consider.
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.
press release Medi-Cal Patients Are Heaviest Users of Emergency Departments — Majority of Visits May Be Avoidable Aug 19, 2008
California Counts, Report Emergency Department Care in California: Who Uses It and Why? By Helen Lee, Shannon McConville Aug 19, 2008 Californians make more than 10 million visits to hospital emergency departments annually. Many of these could be avoided with timely care from family physicians or outpatient clinics. This issue of California Counts presents a comprehensive portrait of emergency department care from several perspectives. Among its findings: The Central Valley and Los Angeles are home to some of the most crowded emergency departments in the state; patients with Medi-Cal coverage visit emergency departments more than do the uninsured; and Hispanics and Asians are less like to use emergency care than whites.
press release Good Intentions, Bad Consequences: Economic Costs Of Mandating Employer-Funded Health Care Could Be Steep Oct 18, 2006
California Economic Policy, Report Pay-or-Play Health Insurance Mandates: Lessons from California By Aaron S. Yelowitz Oct 18, 2006 In 2003, Sacramento enacted one of the first "pay or play" laws, mandating that employers either provide health insurance to California workers or pay a fee. Although the law was never implemented, the pay or play idea has since caught the attention of many other states’ legislatures. In this issue of CEP, the author examines the probable outcomes of California’s version of pay or play and concludes that it was seriously flawed: Employment and wages would have stagnated as employers passed on their increased costs, and many in the population would have remained uninsured.
press release Picture Of Health? Californians Prefer To Make Health Policy At The Ballot Box Feb 23, 2005
