Health Care for All Californians

The California Health Care Foundation helps Californians with low incomes get the health care they need.

Our Priorities

Health Equity

Health Equity

All Californians should have the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential for health. CHCF is working with a wide range of partners to remove structural barriers to care and build a just and equitable health care system that is designed to redress, not perpetuate, the inequities that too many of our fellow Californians face. Learn More
Affordability

Affordability

Every year, half of Californians skip care because of high health care costs. And the problem is getting worse. CHCF is working to make care more affordable for all Californians while addressing unsustainable spending across the system. Learn More
Workforce

Workforce

Bridging the Care Gap: Addressing California’s Health Care Workforce Needs

California faces major shortages of health workers and isn’t producing enough new workers to meet its population’s future needs. Meanwhile, California's health workforce does not match the diversity of the state. These workforce supply problems have a major impact on health access, quality, and equity. Learn More
CalAIM in Focus

CalAIM in Focus

CalAIM is a multiyear reform led by the California Department of Health Care Services to improve the health outcomes and the overall well-being of Medi-Cal enrollees. Explore CHCF’s collection of tools and resources aimed at helping organizations understand and implement CalAIM. Learn More

What's Trending

Explore the most popular publications, blogs, resources, and more from CHCF.

Publication

How Vital Are Medi-Cal Payments to Hospitals in CA Congressional Districts 22, 40 & 41?

April 2025
These fact sheets show how much Medi-Cal payments contribute to net patient revenue at hospitals in three parts of the state, as one way to explore how financially reliant hospitals are on the program.
Publication

Poll Explores Californians’ Attitudes on Medi-Cal, Covered California, and Federal Cuts to Both

March 2025
NORC at the University of Chicago
This February 2025 poll found strong support for Medi-Cal and little support for federal cuts to the program among Californians, even across party lines.
Publication

What Is a Midwife? — Policy at a Glance

April 2025
Midwives are the only providers besides ob/gyns trained to deliver babies. In California, a worsening ob/gyn shortage paired with hospital labor and delivery unit closures have generated urgency for expanding access to midwives.
Publication

Medi-Cal and Seniors — Policy at a Glance

April 2025
Medi-Cal provides crucial coverage for nearly 2 million California seniors and people with disabilities, offering essential services Medicare doesn't cover including nursing home care, in-home support, and help with Medicare costs.
Publication

Understanding California’s Community-Connected Workforce

March 2025
Sunshine Moore
These resources examine three new Medi-Cal benefits: community health workers/promotores/representatives, doulas, and peer support specialists. Although these community-connected workforces share common approaches, each has distinct qualifications, supervision requirements, and covered services under Medi-Cal.
Publication

Enhancing Financial Sustainability for Street Medicine: Examining Medi-Cal Managed Care Contracts with California Providers

March 2025
Gretchen Schroeder, David Panush, Jane Ogle
Payment & Financing
This issue brief provides a snapshot of contracting efforts between a sample of Medi-Cal managed care plans and street medicine providers. It examines the impact that those contracts are having on street medicine providers’ financial sustainability.
Publication

Defending Medi-Cal in 2025

January 2025
Use this page to: (1) get accurate data and information about Medi-Cal and (2) stay abreast of emerging federal Medicaid policies and their potential impact in California.  
Publication

Medi-Cal Waivers and State Plan Amendments

March 2025
Catherine Gekas-Steeby, Liz Stein, Kate Johnson
Medi-Cal
Two fact sheets and one short slide deck provide an overview of Medicaid waivers and State Plan Amendments, and how they are used in California.
Publication

Undocumented Californians Newly Eligible for Medi-Cal Share Their Experiences

February 2025
Michele Cordoba, Ana Fernández-Rockwell
This qualitative research study examined the experiences of previously ineligible adult undocumented immigrants as they navigated enrollment and began accessing health care services through Medi-Cal.
Collection

Maternity Workforce Insights

This series of conversations takes a look at the critical roles of doulas, lactation professionals, mental health professionals, and midwives.

The CHCF Blog

The CHCF Blog features health policy insights from experts inside and outside CHCF.

Visit The CHCF Blog

Events

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Past Event

Telehealth’s Evolution in California: Where Are We, and Where Do We Go from Here?

February 06, 2025 Telehealth in California has expanded significantly to become part of health care’s new normal. The California Health Care Foundation documents telehealth’s progress in its latest report, Telehealth’s Evolution in California: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities. This webinar presents findings and recommendations from the report covering telehealth equity, implementation, policy and… Read More

What is CalAIM?

Get a quick overview of CalAIM -- California’s five-year initiative to improve Medi-Cal so people can get the medical and social services they need.

See our CalAIM Resources

Learn More About Our Work

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