Health Care Costs - California Health Care Foundation

Health Care Costs
Rising health care costs remain a major challenge in California and across the nation. CHCF's work sheds light on trends in state and national health care spending, as well as on the affordability of health care for consumers, to spur dialogue and action toward policy solutions.

2022 Edition — Health Care Costs 101

Katherine Wilson

Health Care Costs

Health Care Costs 101: Federal Spending on COVID-19 Drives Growth provides a detailed look at national health care spending in 2020.

The Big Health Care Wins in California’s State Budget

Medi-Cal, Expanding Health Coverage, Workforce, Health Care Costs, Data Exchange

California’s 2022–23 state budget represents one of the most significant investments in health care in a generation.

Infographic — US Health Care Spending: Who Pays?

Health Care Costs, Payment & Financing

Over the past 60 years, the way health care is financed has changed, with public insurance paying for more care. This graphic shows who paid for health care and how much it cost.

My Comments on the Healthy California for All Commission’s Final Report

Sandra R. Hernández

Expanding Health Coverage, Health Care Costs, Workforce, Medi-Cal, Data Exchange

CHCF's president and CEO, who was appointed to the commission by Governor Gavin Newsom, shares her thoughts on the panel's report.

New Name, New Responsibilities for Key State Health Care Agency

Barbara Feder Ostrov, Sequoia Hall

Workforce, Health Care Costs

A conversation with Elizabeth Landsberg, director of the California Department of Health Care Access and Information.

State and Federal Relief Prevented Deep Backslide in Health Care Affordability in California in 2020

Health Care Costs

This analysis of the 2020 California Health Insurance Survey shows that Californians were largely protected from experiencing a major erosion in their ability to pay for health insurance and care during the first year of the pandemic.

Health Insurance and Health Care Affordability Perceptions Among Individual Insurance Market Enrollees in California in 2021

Vicki Fung, Mary Price, John Hsu

Health Care Costs

This 2021 survey sought to better understand if Californians purchasing their health insurance on the individual market perceived their coverage to be affordable.

On the Wellness Curve, Focus on Primary Health Care Will Put California Ahead

Alice Hm Chen, Julia Logan

Health Care Costs

A first-of-its-kind study of primary care spending in California’s commercial health insurance market finds organizations that invest a higher proportion of spending in primary care deliver better care.

Health Care Cost Commissions: How Eight States Address Cost Growth

Health Care Costs

This issue brief documents efforts in eight states that have established new independent commissions or increased the authority of an existing regulatory body to monitor and limit unnecessary growth in health spending.

Biden Lays Out His Health Policy Agenda

Alyssa Llamas, Dawn Joyce

Behavioral Health, Health Care Costs

Some of his key items are already underway via administrative actions, while others require legislative action in Congress.

California’s Physician Practice Landscape: A Rapidly Changing Market with Limited Data

Jill Yegian, Marta Green

Health Care Costs

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.

Network Adequacy Standards in California: How They Work and Why They Matter

Amy Y. Gu, Michele Ellson, Katherine L. Gudiksen

Health Care Costs

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.

Markets or Monopolies? Considerations for Addressing Health Care Consolidation in California

Katherine L. Gudiksen, Amy Y. Gu, Jaime S. King

Health Care Costs

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.

The Financial Impact of COVID-19 on California Hospitals: January 2020 Through June 2021

Glenn Melnick, Susan Maerki

Health Care Costs

While hospital utilization fell dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, California's hospitals still recorded nearly $3.5 billion in net revenue in 2020, with Medi-Cal providing the greatest revenue increase.

Pulling Back the Curtain: How Many California Hospitals Are Complying with Federal Price Transparency Rules?

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research

Health Care Costs

Federal regulations that went into effect in January 2021 require hospitals to release "clear, accessible pricing information" about their services. This analysis shows that only a minority of California hospitals are fully compliant with this new policy.