Physician services account for 20% of total health care spending. Yet information about the structure, characteristics, and financing of physician practices is piecemeal and often not publicly available. This paper reviews available information sources on the physician practice landscape in California with a focus on existing regulatory and reporting requirements.

Progress Since the California Future Health Workforce Commission: State Policy and Budget Actions on Priority Recommendations provides an overview of how California has acted on Commission recommendations to grow and diversity its health workforce.

In California, both state and federal laws impose provider network adequacy standards on health plans to ensure that the plans provide meaningful access to health care for enrollees. Yet these standards may put plans at a competitive disadvantage when negotiating contracts with providers such as specialists in short supply. This issue brief outlines considerations for policymakers.

Most California health care markets are highly concentrated, with hospital markets in particular approaching monopoly levels in many counties. Studies show that mergers of health care companies result in increased prices for services. This report compiles evidence about consolidation and provides potential considerations for policymakers.

This brief identifies policy strategies to increase the number of health professionals with language concordance — those that speak the same language as their patients. This is especially important in California where 44% of households speak a language other than English.

Prehealth postbaccalaureate programs (PBPs) increase the rates at which students from underrepresented communities are admitted to and graduate from medical school. PBP participants are more likely to provide care in underserved areas.

Although the number of active physicians increased by 21% between 2006 and 2018, and exceeded the 10% population growth, many areas in California face substantial shortages of primary care providers and specialists. This Almanac report describes the state's landscape for physician services.

This poll provides detailed insights on health care providers' views of a COVID-19 vaccine, including their rates of vaccination to date. Also included are providers' responses about mental health and morale, and the availability of personal protective equipment.