This Almanac report describes the state’s supply and use of long-term care services, Medicare and Medi-Cal spending on services, and quality of care.

As COVID-19 containment efforts took hold, patient volume at California hospitals fell precipitously as hospitals discontinued elective and nonurgent care while drastically increasing inpatient bed supply to treat a predicted surge of COVID-19 patients. This issue brief provides initial estimates of some of the immediate financial and longer-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on California’s hospitals and health care system.

Patients in health centers across the country are benefiting from state-led value-based payment models that reward high-quality, cost-effective care. The value-based payment models described in this brief aim to provide patients with coordinated, team-based health care that is convenient to access and best meets their needs.

US health spending reached $3.6 trillion in 2018. National health spending grew 4.6% in 2018, a slightly higher rate than the 4.2% growth in 2017. See the data in this quick reference guide.

The medical loss ratio (MLR) is the percentage of premium that health insurers spend on medical care and quality improvement activities. These resources include the most recent MLR database with data from 2012 to 2017, as well as documents that describe the MLR and how to use the database.