Reports & News
California kids are going without vision care, and the problem is getting worse
When Kekoa Gittens was 3, his preschool teacher told his mother he was a problem. He couldn’t sit still. He didn’t participate. When other kids learned the alphabet, he didn’t...
Read MoreOpinion: The problem is clear: Medi-Cal is failing to protect children’s eyesight
In a California classroom today, a teacher is writing a math equation on a whiteboard. Later, he or she will display assignment instructions on a projection screen before asking students...
Read MoreFor California Democrats, single-payer health care is back. Voters have heard it before
California Democratic candidates for governor can’t stop talking about single-payer health care — again. The idea of a government-run universal health care program that would replace private insurance as the...
Read MorePolicy Brief: Effect of H.R. 1 on California’s Distressed Hospitals
Reviews the impact of H.R. 1’s Medicaid cuts in the context of California’s program to assist fiscally distressed hospitals.
Read MorePolicy Brief: New CMS Guidance on Medicaid for Non-Citizens: Medicaid Manage Care Payments and Emergency Medicaid
January 2026 – Analysis on CMS September 2025 guidance on how medicaid funds can be used for non-citizens. Significant implications for Medi-Cal managed care plans and emergency Medi-Cal reimbursement.
Read MoreSubstance Use Disorders (SUD) in California Hospital-Based Encounters: Emergency Department and Inpatient Trends (2020–2022)
January 2026 – This data brief examines California hospital utilization related to substance use from 2020–2022, drawing on encounter-level data reported by the Department of Health Care Access and Information....
Read MorePolicy Brief: Access to Medication Assisted Substance Use Treatment by Medi-Cal Beneficiaries
January 2026 This paper estimates the share of Medi-Cal adults in each county who were at risk of opioid misuse in 2022 and compares that with counts of adults receiving forms of MAT prescribed for their condition.
Read MoreCalAIM Data Update: Enhanced Care Management Enrollment by County and Health Plan – Q1 – 2025
Provides detailed analysis of Enhanced Care Management through March 2025.
Read MoreCalAIM Data Update: Community Supports Utilization by County and Health Plan – Q1 – 2025
Provides detailed analysis of Community Supports through March 2025.
Read MorePolicy Brief: Are Medi-Cal Children Receiving Vision Care They Need? A 2022-24 Update
New analysis finds that only 16% of school-age children on Medi-Cal received primary care eye services between July 2022 and June 2024. This is a decline from the 19% served...
Read MorePolicy Brief: Requiring Access to Quality Report Rating and Information for Long Term Care
About 3 million Californians are discharged from hospitals annually, and many need post-acute and long-term care services after discharge. Hospital discharge plans often include placement options in skilled nursing facilities...
Read MorePolicy Brief: Promoting Health Equity for People with Disabilities Through United Efforts
There are 7.6 million Californians who live with a disability and experience significant health disparities. This policy brief analyzes how key state departments - Department of Health Care Services, Department...
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