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This state-specific page on California provides new materials published by Families USA, key health contacts, state government links, news and views from the state, and other resources that might be helpful to California advocates. Click on the links below to view the information you are interested in.
Key Health Contacts
Alameda Health Consortium
1320 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 250
Alameda, CA 94502
Phone:510-769-2230
E-mail: information@alamedahealthconsortium.org
Web site: www.alamedahealthconsortium.org
Alliance for Retired Americans
600 Grand Avenue, Suite 410
Oakland, CA 94610
Phone: 510-663-4085
E-mail: info@CaliforniaAlliance.org
Web site: http://www.californiaalliance.org/
CA Association for Adult Day Services
921 11th Street Suite 1100
Sacramento, CA 95814
E-mail: caads@caads.org
Web site: http://caads.org/
California Black Health Network
9328 Elk Grove Blvd. Suite 105 #376
Elk Grove, CA 95824
Phone: 619-295-5413
Fax: 619-295-5749
E-mail: info@cbhn.org
Web site: http://www.cbhn.org/
California Black Women's Health Project
101 N. La Brea Avenue, Suite 610
Inglewood, CA 90301-1793
Phone: 310-412-1828
Fax: 310-412-0923
E-mail: wellwoman@cabwhp.org
Web site: http://www.cabwhp.org/
California Budget Project
1107 9th Street, Suite 310
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-444-0500
Fax: 916-444-0172
E-mail: cbp@cbp.org
Web site: www.cbp.org
California Council of Churches/California Church IMPACT
4044 Pasadena Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95821
Phone: 916-488-7300 x 3
Web site: http://www.calchurches.org/
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
654 13th Street
Oakland, CA 94612
Web site: http://www.cpehn.org/
California Pan-Ethnic Network (CPEHN)
654 13th Street
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-832-1160
Fax: 510-832-1175
E-mail: info@cpehn.org
Web site: www.cpehn.org
CPEHN is a statewide network of multicultural health organizations working together to improve health care access and eliminate health status disparities in California's communities of color. The mission of CPEHN is to promote changes to health policy decisionmaking and health care delivery systems that improve the health status of diverse communities. Through a collaborative process with its partners in the African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, Latino and Latina, and Native American communities, CPEHN monitors, analyzes, and informs health care policies, legislation, and business strategies.
California Primary Care Association
1215 K Street, Suite 700
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-440-8170
Fax: 916-440-8172
Web site: http://www.cpca.org/
The California Wellness Foundation
6320 Canoga Avenue, Suite 1700
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Phone: 818-702-1900
Fax: 818-702-1999
Web Site: www.tcwf.org
The mission of The California Wellness Foundation is to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness education, and disease prevention.
Center for Health Care Rights
520 South Lafayette Park Place, Suite 214
Los Angeles, CA 90057
Phone: 213-383-4519
Fax: 213-383-4598
Web site: healthcarerights.org
The Center for Health Care Rights is a nonprofit health care advocacy organization serving consumers through a combination of direct service programs and policy-level advocacy. The center provides direct services to Medicare enrollees in Los Angeles County as the Los Angeles County Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). The Center also sponsors the Health Rights Hotline, a free, independent assistance program for health care consumers in the Sacramento area.
Children Now
1212 Broadway, 5th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-763-2444
Fax: 510-763-1974
E-mail: children@childrennow.org
Web site: http://www.childrennow.org
Children Now uses research and mass communications to make the wellbeing of children a top priority across the nation.
Children's Advocacy Institute
5998 Alcala Park
University of San Diego Law School
San Diego, CA 92110
Phone: 619-260-4806
Fax: 619-260-4753
E-mail: info@caichildlaw.org
Web site: http://www.caichildlaw.org/
Children's Defense Fund
2201 Broadway, Suite 705
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-663-3224
Fax: 510-663-1783
Web site: http://www.cdfca.org/
The Children's Partnership
1351 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 206
Santa Monica, CA 90401-1321
Phone: 310-260-1220
Fax: 310-260-1921
E-mail: frontdoor@childrenspartnership.org
Web site: www.childrenspartnership.org
The Children's Partnership (TCP) is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to inform leaders and the public about the needs of America's 70 million children, specifically on health and technology access issues. TCP undertakes research and policy analysis, publishes reports and multimedia materials, and forges new alliances among parents, policymakers, and the private sector to achieve tangible gains for children.
Community Health Councils
3761 Stocker, Suite 201
Los Angeles, CA 90008-5111
Phone: 323-295-9372
Fax: 323-295-9467
E-mail: hlthcouncils@earthlink.net
Web site: www.chc-inc.org
Congress of California Seniors
1230 N. Street, Suite 201
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-442-4474
Fax: 916-442-1877
E-mail: info@seniors.org
Web site: www.seniors.org
Consumers Union
1535 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-431-6747
Fax: 415-431-0906
Web site: www.consumersunion.org
Disability Rights California (Formerly Known As: Protection and Advocacy)
3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 902
Los Angeles, CA 90010-2512
Web site: www.pai-ca.org
Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights
1750 Ocean Park Boulevard, Suite 200
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Phone: 310-392-0522
Fax: 310-392-8874
E-mail: ftcr@consumerwatchdog.org
Web site: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/
Health Access
1127 11th St., Ste. 234
Sacramento, CA 95814
Web site: http://www.health-access.org/
Health Administration Responsibility Project (HARP)
552 12th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90402-2908
Web site: www.harp.org
HARP is a resource for patients, doctors, and attorneys seeking to hold HMOs, managed health care organizations, and nursing facilities accountable for the consequences of their decisions.
Health Care for All-California
P. O. Box 2578
Mill Valley, CA 94942-2578
Phone: 888-442-4255
Fax: 415-821-8202
Web site: www.healthcareforall.org
Health Care for All-California (HCA) is a nonprofit grassroots organization that advocates for universal health care using a single-payer, publicly financed system. With more than 1,000 members in over 20 affiliates from Butte County to San Diego County, HCA has led the single-payer movement in California since 1995. HCA is the sponsoring organization for State Senator Sheila Kuehl's single payer bill, SB 921, the Health for All Californians Act.
Human Services Network
1125 W. 6th Street, Suite 302
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: 213-202-5920
Fax: 213-202-5925
Insure the Uninsured Project
2444 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 415
Santa Monica, CA 90403-5813
Phone: 310-828-0338
E-mail: info@itup.org
Web site: http://www.itup.org/
Insure the Uninsured Project (ITUP) seeks to increase health coverage of California's 6.8 million uninsured. ITUP has been involved in efforts to develop, discuss, and disseminate practical solutions to providing coverage to the uninsured, including state, county, and local initiatives, purchasing pools, and commercial health plans. To that end, the project works with employers, policymakers, hospitals, doctors, and clinics. To highlight these efforts and opportunities, ITUP has developed and distributed written materials, held annual conferences, and organized an ongoing series of workgroups and presentations.
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
1225 8th Street, Suite 500
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-448-3234
Fax: 916-448-3248
Web site: http://www.lchc.org/
Latino Issues Forum
160 Pine Street, Suite 700
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone:415-284-7220
E-mail: lifcentral@lif.org
Web site: www.lif.org
Maternal and Child Health Access
1111 West 6th Street, Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: 213-749-4261
Fax: 213-745-1040
Web site: http://www.mchaccess.org/
National Center for Youth Law (NCYL)
405 14th Street, 15th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-835-8098
Fax: 510-835-8099
E-mail: info@youthlaw.org
Web site: http://www.youthlaw.org/
National Health Law Program
2639 S. La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Phone: 310-204-6010
Fax: 310-204-0891
E-mail: nhelp@healthlaw.org
Web site: www.healthlaw.org
The PICO California Project
2510 J Street, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95816-4496
Phone: 916-447-7959
Fax: 916-447-7955
E-mail: picocalifornia@aol.com
Web site: www.picocalifornia.org
Network Web site: www.piconetwork.org
PICO (Pacific Institute for Community Organization) is a national network of community organizations that was established in 1972. The PICO California Project and its 16 member organizations teach people how to address problems collectively and how to work for systemic solutions. The project currently represents 300,000 families in 350 congregations and has a presence in over half of the State Senate and Assembly districts. It works to develop a leadership base consisting of low-income and middle-class working people representing the diversity of California.
Protection and Advocacy
3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 902
Los Angeles, CA 90010-2512
Phone: 213-427-8747
Fax: 213-427-8767
Web site: www.pai-ca.org
Senior Action Network
965 Mission, Suite 705
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-546-1333
Fax: 415-546-1344
Western Center on Law and Poverty
1107 9th Street, Suite 801
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-442-0753
Fax: 916-442-7966
E-mail: info@wclp.org
Web site: www.wclp.org
Working Partnerships USA
2102 Almaden Road, Suite 107
San Jose, CA 95125
Phone: 408 269-7872
Fax: 408 269-0183
Web site: http://www.wpusa.org/
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State Government Links
State of California Web site
State Department of Insurance Web site
The Medical Care Services page of the state's Web site provides information on the state's health delivery systems. Also visit the Medi-Cal home page for more information on Medicaid-related issues.
California Department of Managed Care Web site
To contact the Managed Care Ombudsman Complaint line, call 1-888-452-8609.
The state legislature's Web site offers information on pending and passed legislation, state representatives, and the legislative process.
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Other Resources
Guide to Finding Health Coverage: California Millions of Americans have no health insurance, and finding health insurance can be difficult. If you are looking for coverage, this guide can help point the way. Whether you have recently lost your job, are an early retiree, or have a serious medical condition, this guide includes numerous resources that may help you find the coverage you need. (Updated 2009) [Families USA]
Healthcare Reform Will Help California's Small Businesses examines how the state's small businesses struggle with high health insurance premiums and how health reform will address this problem, making health insurance more affordable for businesses and individuals. (September 2009) [Small Business Majority]
Measuring Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care: Efforts to Improve Data Collection examines recent federal and state activities aimed at strengthening the collection of health-related data on race, ethnicity, and primary language. It highlights three states, California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, that have implemented laws or regulations regarding data collection activities by hospitals, health plans, and government agencies. (May 2009) [Mathematica]
The Uninsured: A Closer Look–Californians without Health Insurance examines how many state residents were uninsured during 2007-2008. The report also takes a closer look at the number of uninsured, who they are, and how long they were uninsured. It mirrors the data in our national report, Americans at Risk: One in Three Uninsured. (April 2009) [Families USA]
Premiums versus Paychecks: A Growing Burden for California's Workers. The impact of changes in employer-based health insurance premiums and earnings in California. (September 2008) [Families USA]
Bad Medicine: The President's Medicaid Regulations Will Weaken California's Economy States are facing a recession and reduced revenues. In 2007, the Bush Administration issued seven new regulations that together will strip an estimated $50 billion in federal funds from states over the next five years. These state-specific reports quantify the harm that these regulations will cause to state economies in terms of lost federal dollars, business activity, jobs, and wages. (April 2008) [Families USA]
Dying for Coverage in California For the more than 47 million Americans who are uninsured, lack of health insurance can have dire consequences: medical debt, missed care, and even premature death. This first-ever state-specific report examines the number of deaths due to lack of health insurance. (April 2008) [Families USA]
Improving Coverage and Access for Immigrant Latino Children: The Los Angeles Healthy Kids Program examines this successful program, which covers uninsured children in families with incomes below 300 percent of the federal poverty level who are ineligible for Medi-Cal (California Medicaid) and Healthy Families (the state’s CHIP program). A four-year evaluation of Healthy Kids found that the program has improved access for more than 40,000 children, most of whom are immigrant Latino children who have almost no access to employer-based coverage. However, sustaining this effective program has proven to be challenging. (April 2008) [Health Affairs]
Haves and Have-Nots: A Look at Children’s Use of Dental Care in California found that uninsured children were least likely to have had a recent dental visit and most likely to have never visited a dentist. Denti-Cal (a part of California’s Medicaid program) beneficiaries were least likely to have ever seen a dentist compared to those with other types of insurance. The report suggests a number of public health initiatives to help these children get the dental care they need, such as increasing oral health outreach and education. (February 2008) [The California Health Care Foundation]
Three Independent Evaluations of Healthy Kids Programs Find Dramatic Gains in Well-Being of Children and Families presents highlights from independent evaluations of the Healthy Kids programs in three California counties: Los Angeles, San Mateo, and Santa Clara. (November 2007) [The Urban Institute, UCSF, and Mathematica]
San Mateo County offers children a comprehensive mental health benefits package. Are Children Accessing and Using Needed Mental Health Care Services? The Case of the San Mateo County Healthy Kids Program discusses how many children are obtaining mental health services through the program, how they obtain those services, and possible reasons for why children who need these services are not using them. (October 2007) [The Urban Institute]
SCHIP Reauthorization: What's at Stake for California? New state-specific reports show how much money California could gain from SCHIP Reauthorization and what that money would mean California's economy. (May 2007)
The Santa Clara County Children’s Health Initiative is an innovative effort to expand health coverage to low-income children in this California county. Stable Coverage Benefits Healthy Kids Children found that, when children remained covered, their use of preventive care grew, as did their parents' confidence about meeting their child's health care needs. Children also had fewer unmet needs for health care. (June 2007) [Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.]
When an Apple A Day Isn't Enough: Students in California Speak Out about Health Care contains the winning essays from the "When an Apple a Day Isn't Enough" national essay contest as well as basic information about why health insurance matters for children. [Families USA]
Guide to Finding Health Insurance Coverage: Millions of Americans have no health insurance, and finding health insurance can be difficult. If you are looking for coverage, this guide can help point the way. Whether you have recently lost your job, are an early retiree, or have a serious medical condition, this guide includes numerous resources that may help you find the coverage you need. (Updated March 2007) [Families USA]
No Shelter from the Storm: California's Uninsured Children. This fact sheet takes a closer look at uninsured children in California—who they are and what kinds of services they miss out on as a result of being uninsured. Written by Families USA for the Campaign for Children's Health Care. (September 2006) [Families USA]
Experiences with Medicare Part D: Stories from Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse and Medically Needy Californians examines early experiences with Medicare Part D through in-depth interviews with 35 "vulnerable" Medicare beneficiaries. This is the first of several sets of interviews that will track beneficiary experiences through the first year of Part D operations. The report focuses on choosing and enrolling in Part D plans, as well as using the new prescription drug coverage. (June 2006) [Lake Research Partners and the California Endowment]
The Enzi Bill: Bad Medicine for California: This fact sheet describes how passage of S. 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization Act (HIMMA), would affect consumer protections that apply to the health insurance market in California. (March 2006) [Families USA]
California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform provides pre-placement counseling, as well as information on choosing a nursing home, Medi-Cal, residents' rights, services, and quality information on all 1,400+ nursing homes in California. The organization also provides assistance with complaints and community education on long-term care issues.
The California Consumer Health Care Council is volunteer-run organization that has been at the forefront of the battle to protect health care consumers from dangerous, deceptive, and unfair practices. CCHCC also provides immediate assistance to consumers who are being improperly treated by their HMO or other health insurer.
California Consumer Health Scope provides report cards to help consumers evaluate the quality of care provided by health plans, hospitals and other providers. The site is produced by a nonprofit California-based organization and funded, in part, by the Kaiser Foundation.
The California Endowment is a private grant-making foundation that was established in 1996. Its mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of the people of California. The Endowment's Web site offers free publications and information on grants.
The California Health Care Foundation's mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of the people of California. The Foundation's Coverage Expansion Resource Center offers a framework for state and national policy makers to objectively compare attributes and trade-offs of expansion proposals and the status quo.
The California Nurses Association Web site offers up-to-date information on all aspects of health care in the state.
California Nursing Home Search is a new web site designed to give Californians more information when choosing a quality nursing home. The web site provides detailed information on all of the primary quality factors experts say should be considered when selecting a nursing home, including staffing levels, complaint and deficiency ratings, and percent of total expenditures spent on care. The site also provides information on nursing home alternatives and resident rights. (October 2002)
Community Health Partnership of Santa Clara County is a community-based system of primary health care for medically underserved populations. Their Web site offers clinic locations and other information.
Press Releases on managed care health reform. [Consumers for Quality Care]
Family Caregivers Alliance was the first community-based nonprofit organization in the country to address the needs of families and friends providing long-term care at home. Their Web site offers valuable information on state services, events, legislative alerts, and more.
Health Care Quality in California provides an overview of health care quality for a lay audience, including explanations of important themes, scientific and political issues, key constituencies, possible courses of action toward improving quality of care, and reference lists of participating organizations.
Health Rights Hotline provides free assistance and information about health care rights. The Hotline serves residents of El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo counties.
The Healthy Families Program helps parents get affordable and comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage for their children who do not have insurance and are not eligible for Medi-Cal.
Healthykidsproject.org is a project of Consumers Union. Consumers Union has a long history of working to improve consumers' access to quality health care and health insurance. The project seeks to enroll California children in low- or no-cost health insurance programs through the schools
Indexmedico is a comprehensive, bilingual Web directory of medical information for doctors, health care professionals, and the public.
The Latino Coalition for a Healthy California is a project of Public Advocates, Inc., a public interest law firm with a history of advocating for the interests of California's minority, low-income population. The coalition has played a leadership role in bringing Latinos to the table in the health policy debate in California and has published groundbreaking policy papers on critical issues such as Medicaid cuts and block grants, California's conversion of Medi-Cal to managed care, and the health needs of immigrant Latinas. Most of their papers are available for a small fee. Ordering information is posted on their Web site.
Latino Issues Forum is a nonprofit public policy and advocacy institute dedicated to advancing new and innovative public policy solutions for a better, more equitable, and prosperous society.
The Medi-Cal Policy Institute brings clear, concise data and analysis to the people who develop Medi-Cal policy, who provide health care services, and who care about the program. As an independent, nonpartisan source of information on the Medi-Cal program, the Institute seeks to facilitate the development of effective policy solutions with the interests of Medi-Cal recipients guiding this work. The Institute conducts and commissions research, distributes information about the program and its beneficiaries, and identifies the challenges ahead.
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC) is a state public affairs office affiliated with Planned Parenthood Federation of America. At this site you will find information on California legislation, major reproductive health issues, Planned Parenthood services and locations, and information on how you can have your voice heard on these important issues at the Capitol.
Project Inform is a national, nonprofit, community-based organization working to end the AIDS epidemic. Its Web site offers information on treatment, a hotline, and other valuable resources for AIDS/HIV patients and advocates.
Seniors in Action: The Congress of California Seniors takes stands on issues of importance to midlife and older persons and their families. CCS is affiliated with the National Council of Senior Citizens (NCSC), which advocates at the national level on issues affecting mid-life and older persons. NCSC was instrumental in passing the original Medicare legislation.
The Western Law Center for Disability Rights works to promote the rights of people with disabilities in the Southern California area, and to promote public interest in and awareness of those rights by providing legal and related services.
California has more than 800,000 uninsured children. The Path to Accessing Health Coverage: Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization outlines the expansion of public coverage programs, program and system improvements, and the expanding role of the public and private sectors. The report also identifies future challenges and opportunities and puts forth principles to strengthen outreach, enrollment, retention, and utilization in California. (January 2006) [The California Endowment]
In California, many counties and their private partners and funders are refining and expanding their existing outreach and enrollment efforts to more effectively reach a broader range of families. Reaching Out and Reaching In: Understanding Efforts to Identify and Enroll Uninsured Children into Health Insurance Programs provides a review of what is known about the effectiveness of local outreach and enrollment strategies and a framework for ways to evaluate future such efforts. (January 2006) [The California Endowment]
Evaluation of the Local Initiative Rewarding Results Collaborative Demonstrations: Interim Report assesses the first known collaboration created to establish financial incentives for multiple health plans in Medicaid to improve the quality of care for low-income children in California. Although $2.6 million in incentives was paid out to providers by December 2004, the report suggested that not all providers are aware of the incentives program. (August 2005) [Mathematica Policy Research]
NACHRI, in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), has released 2005 updates of their state-specific Medicaid fact sheets. These fact sheets detail the importance of the Medicaid program to the health care of children in every state, as well as the critical role children's hospitals and pediatricians play in serving all children. Click here for a map that will take you to information specific to your state. (July 2005) [National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI)]
Paying a Premium: The Added Cost of Care for the Uninsured in California: A fact sheet with state-level data showing the dollar impact on private health insurance premiums of care provided to the uninsured. (June 2005) [Families USA]
Falling Apart: Declining Job-Based Health Coverage for Working Families in California and the United States: This study analyzes health insurance trends for non-elderly adults (19-65 years of age) in the United States and California from 2000 to 2004 and estimates the impact of premium prices increases on health insurance coverage over this period and simulates future coverage rates for California between 2005 and 2010. (June 2005) [Working Partnerships USA and the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education]
Streamlining Children's Eligibility for Medi-Cal Processing: This issue brief identifies a series of issues that the California Department of Health Services, the legislature, and county officials should consider when thinking about ways to improve the eligibility determination process for families. (June 2005) [The California HealthCare Foundation]
Medicaid Cuts Are Bad Medicine: This fact sheet describes how Medicaid helps your state's economy, supports the state's health care infrastructure, provides essential health care to the most vulnerable residents, and reduces the number of uninsured. (January 2005) [Families USA]
The Uninsured: A Closer Look: A fact sheet with state-level data from One in Three: Non-Elderly Americans without Health Insurance, 2002-2003. en español (June 2004) [Families USA]
Good Medicine for State Economies, 2004 Update: Medicaid provides essential health care services for an estimated 51 million people of all ages and economic classes. Medicaid also plays a unique role in stimulating state economies. This report provides national and state-level data on the effects of Medicaid spending on state business activity, employment, and employee earnings. These updated numbers can be used to predict the economic impact of potential state Medicaid spending increases or cuts in fiscal year 2005.| Medicaid Calculator with updated figures (May 2004) [Families USA]
Who's Uninsured in California and Why? is a four-page fact sheet providing information on the uninsured population in the state -- their numbers and characteristics and some of the reasons they are uninsured. (November 2003) [Families USA]
Families USA has prepared state fact sheets that spell out the different amounts of help the House and Senate Medicare prescription drug bills would provide to low-income beneficiaries. Click here for this state's fact sheet. (July 2003) [Families USA]
What the Immigrant Provisions of the Senate Prescription Drug Bill Mean to California (July 25, 2003) [Families USA]
The Future of Medi-Cal: Challenges at the Federal, State, and County Level, is an Issue Brief that explores how California is attempting to preserve a meaningful set of Medicaid benefits during its current state budget crisis. It looks at the issue from both a national and a state perspective and examines how Governor Davis and the California state legislature are dealing with this urgent situation. (May 2003) [The Kaiser Family Foundation]
The 2003 Guide to California Medicare HMOs rates HMO plans in 33 California counties to determine which plans have the best value for their cost. It discusses the pros and cons of Medicare HMOs, provides guidelines for choosing a Medicare plan, and identifies Medicare HMO plans in different counties. (2003) [The California HealthCare Foundation and Consumers Union]
Medicaid: Good Medicine for California's Economy covers the same territory as the national report, but it also includes some additional information. The California report takes recent proposals by Gov. Davis to cut Medicaid spending and uses the economic multipliers to calculate the consequences of those cuts to California's economy. These calculations are done for the governor's December 2002 proposals (see Table 3 in the report) and for his January 10, 2003 proposals. (January 2003) Supplemental Table [Families USA]
California Seniors and Prescription Drugs presents survey findings from a study of 2,380 California seniors contained in a broader 2001 survey of seniors in eight states. According to the survey, 18 percent of California seniors were without drug coverage in 2001. Of those with coverage, 30 percent got that coverage through Medicare+Choice plans, while another 30 percent were covered by employer plans. The survey also found that 16 percent of seniors reported spending $100 or more per month out-of-pocket on prescription drugs. (November 2002) [The Tufts-New England Medical Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation]
The Office of the Patient Advocate has issued its second annual HMO Report Card, which provides information on quality of care and customer service and additional information about plan and doctor services in English and other languages. The report cards rate HMOs in three categories: HMO quality, HMO services in other languages, and medical group quality. (October 2002) [The Office of the Patient Advocate]
Medicare+Choice After Five Years: Lessons for Medicare's Future-Findings from Seven Major Cities examines the reasons why private health plans, health care providers, and beneficiaries are so widely dissatisfied with the M+C program. To do this, the authors reviewed the M+C program in seven cities that have varying payment rates and local health care structures, as follows: Cleveland, Houston, Long Island, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and Tucson. The authors also attempt to understand how the program could be stabilized. (September 2002) [The Commonwealth Fund]
California enrollees in the Medicare+Choice (M+C) program account for about one quarter of the national enrollment, and the state has a much higher market penetration rate than the rest of the nation. Medicare+Choice in California: Lessons and Insights examines the state's experience from the end of 1997 through the beginning of 2002 to identify lessons that can be applied to the national M+C environment. (September 2002) [The Kaiser Family Foundation]
Beyond Medi-Cal: Health Insurance among Former Welfare Recipients is the first report to provide information on employer-sponsored and other sources of health coverage among those Californians who've left welfare. Among the report's findings are that one in four welfare leavers are without health coverage, as are one in five of their children. The study also found that, among former welfare recipients who had some form of employment at the time of the survey, only about half were offered employer-sponsored health coverage. (September 2002) [The Medi-Cal Policy Institute]
Voters Want Public Schools and Medi-Cal Spared from Budget Cuts reports on the results of a survey conducted by the California HealthCare Foundation and its Field Institute. The survey found that a large majority of registered California voters-76 percent-oppose making cuts to health care programs for low-income Californians. According to the poll, if it came down to a choice between increasing taxes and cutting medical care services to low-income Californians, voters favored several possible tax increase alternatives. (July 2002) [The California HealthCare Foundation]
Prescription Drug Options for Seniors: A Comparative Guide compares 11 prescription drug discount programs available for the state's seniors, including discount cards, online pharmacy options, and state-mandated programs. Seniors can use the guide to find information on program eligibility, benefits, and costs. (June 2002) [The California HealthCare Foundation]
The State of Health Insurance in California: Findings from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey is a rich source of data that can be used to better understand health coverage-or the lack of it-in California's diverse population, both statewide and at the local level. The report also includes new information on employment-based health coverage, uninsured people who are eligible for Medi-Cal or the Healthy Families Program, and the consequences of being uninsured. (June 2002) [The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research]
Children's Eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP: A View from 2000 presents estimates of Medicaid and SCHIP eligibility for children up to age 17 using the eligibility rules in place as of July 2000. The results are based on data from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families. The Survey found that eligibility varied tremendously across states, and the brief includes state-specific data for 13 states: AL, CA, CO, FL, MA, MI, MN, MS, NJ, NY, TX, WA, WI. (March 2002) [The Urban Institute]
Recent Changes in Health Policy for Low-Income People in California Through interviews with state officials, consumers, and health care providers, as well as reviews of health care publications and Web sites, this report describes how California finances health care, specifically with regards to Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. (March 2002) [The Urban Institute]
How are Immigrants Faring After Welfare Reform? provides detailed information about the impact of welfare reform on low-income immigrants in two of the largest urban areas of the country, Los Angeles and New York City. The report analyzes trends in labor force participation, income, poverty, program use, access to health coverage, food insecurity, and food stamp usage. (March 2002) [The Urban Institute and the University of California at Los Angeles]
Local Efforts to Increase Health Insurance Coverage among Children in California examines outreach practices of local programs involved in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families to increase the number of children with health coverage. (February 2002) [The Medi-Cal Policy Institute]
Assessing The New Federalism State Reports is based on the 1999 National Survey of America's Families and provides basic state- and national-level data in easy-to-use tables. These tables break down the type of health insurance people have according to age, income, sex, race/ethnicity, family structure, family work status, firm size, and country of origin. Separate profiles for each of the 13 states studied (AL, CA, CO, FL, MA, MI, MN, MS, NJ, NY, TX, WA, and WI) also include characteristics of the uninsured, as well as a description of Medicaid and SCHIP enrollees. (January 2002) [The Urban Institute]
Health Care Access for Uninsured Adults: A Strong Safety Net Is Not the Same as Insurance examines the extent to which differences in the safety-net environment account for differences in access to and use of health care by the uninsured. The brief draws on representative samples of the population from 13 states (AL, CA, CO, FL, MA, MI, MN, MS, NJ, NY, TX, WA, WI) and focuses on low-income adults and on residents of metropolitan areas. (January 2002) [The Urban Institute]
State Profiles of Health Insurance, Access, and Use is based on the 1999 National Survey of America's Families and provides basic state- and national-level data in easy-to-use tables. These tables break down the type of health insurance people have according to age, income, sex, race/ethnicity, family structure, family work status, firm size, and country of origin. Separate profiles for each of the 13 states studied (AL, CA, CO, FL, MA, MI, MN, MS, NJ, NY, TX, WA, and WI) also include characteristics of the uninsured, as well as a description of Medicaid and SCHIP enrollees. (January 2002) [The Urban Institute]
Using Market Research to Improve Enrollment of Families Eligible for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families: California spends nearly $21 million annually to advertise its two children's health insurance programs, yet almost 2 million children who are eligible are not enrolled. Through an evaluation of various marketing strategies, this study provides policy makers with information that can be used to increase enrollment in the two programs. (Fall 2001) [The Medi-Cal Policy Institute]
State Profiles of Health Insurance, Access and Use: California is one of 13 states studied for this report. Easy-to-use tables describe the type of insurance coverage people have by age, income, gender, race/ethnicity, family structure, family work status, firm size (for workers), community type, and country of origin. The link to the information is posted under "What's New-August". (August 2000) [The Urban Institute]
Go Directly to Work, Do Not Collect Health Insurance: California is one of the states studied in this report, which provides documentation of the health coverage effects of welfare reform on low-income parents. (June 2000) [Families USA]
Golden Opportunity: Improving Children's Health Through California Schools: this report discusses efforts to improve enrollment in California's CHIP program. (March 2000) [Consumers Union]
Right-to-sue Measure on HMOs: Legislation to give Californians insured through private employers the right to sue their HMOs was relegated to the suspense file by the California Senate Appropriations Committee. (May 14, 1999) [The Congress of California Seniors]
Navigating A Managed Care Denial is a guide that outlines steps that patients should take when they feel they have been denied services inappropriately. (1997) [The Medical Board of California] | 
