With long term care issues under the increasing scrutiny of policymakers and consumers alike, knowing the relevant facts, figures, and trends is crucial to understanding and addressing the challenges facing this segment of the health care market.

This report, part of CHCF's California Health Care Almanac, offers an overview of long term care issues in California and the nation. It examines a range of issues affecting the various players in long term care, including bed occupancy rates, payment sources, and expenditures. Offering another level of perspective, the report also compares California's statistics to the nation's.

Among the findings are:

• Although California spends $3.8 billion on Medicaid nursing home services, the state's nursing homes continue to have a large number of federal deficiencies, state citations, and complaints.
• California Medicare beneficiaries use fewer home health and hospice services than the national average.
• The use of Medicaid home- and community-based services in California has increased, while the use of nursing home services remained about the same between 2003 and 2007.
• Institutional care for Medicaid represents 20% of all beneficiaries and 50% of all spending in California.
• California has a higher percentage of Medicaid long term care beneficiaries receiving home- and community-based care than the national average, 80% versus 62%.

The complete report is available under Document Downloads.