CalAIM: Why It’s So Much More Than Another New Health Program For decades, the state’s Medi-Cal program has delivered essential health services to millions of Californians, and it’s rightfully earned extremely strong public support from Californians as a result. Still, the idea of Medi-Cal as a single program is a bit of a misnomer. It is a patchwork of different health programs among an even greater patchwork of social programs. Having such siloed and disconnected services has made it harder and harder for Californians to access the kinds of people-centered care that evidence shows is most effective and is also fundamental to building ... December 22, 2021 Healthcare, Medi-Cal, Patient Care CalAIM, Health Equity, Health Program, Medi-Cal 0 0 Comment Read More »
The Work of Family Caregiving: Invisible, Costly, and Taxing Laura’s 78-year-old mother fell off a health cliff, spiraling downward in a decline that’s not uncommon among older adults. “She went from normal cognition to thinking it was her wedding day and that I was her mother,” Laura told Vox journalist Anne Helen Petersen. “She didn’t know how to walk and didn’t remember what had happened to her.” Laura, whose last name and location were withheld to protect her privacy, spent the next few years caring for her parents. Like many other Americans who become full-time caretakers, she had limited options. Medicare doesn’t cover ... December 6, 2021 General, Healthcare, Medi-Cal, Patient Care California, Caregiving, Essential Coverage, Medi-Cal 0 0 Comment Read More »
California Law Aims to Strengthen Access to Mental Health Services The number of people with symptoms of depression and anxiety has nearly quadrupled during the covid pandemic, which has made it even more maddeningly difficult to get timely mental health care, even if you have good insurance. A California law signed Oct. 8 by Gov. Gavin Newsom could help. It requires that mental health and substance abuse patients be offered return appointments no more than 10 days after a previous session, unless their provider OKs less frequent visits. Current insurance regulations already require giving patients an initial mental health visit no more than 10 ... October 29, 2021 COVID19, Healthcare, Mental Health, Patient Care Healthcare, Mental Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Raising the Bar for Behavioral Health Care During the COVID-19 pandemic, the American public developed a deeper appreciation for behavioral health care, the umbrella term for mental health and substance use treatment. While demand for it is soaring, the US health care system is still falling far short. Despite significant spending, people with behavioral health conditions still suffer greatly. They experience more illness, poorer health outcomes, and a shorter life expectancy than the general population — often from preventable physical health conditions. State and federal governments are providing additional funds to improve behavioral health care, but ... October 26, 2021 COVID19, Healthcare, Mental Health Behavioral Health, COVID-19 0 0 Comment Read More »
In Their Own Words: How Fragmented Care Harms People with Both Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder For the 8.9 million American adults — about 500,000 Californians — with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance use disorder, it can be difficult to receive fully coordinated and effective care. For people with low incomes, the barriers can be even higher and lead to unnecessary suffering and poor health outcomes. To better understand how Californians with dual diagnoses experience treatment, CHCF commissioned interviews with 54 people insured through Medi-Cal who have both mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD), as well as additional interviews with the family ... October 5, 2021 Healthcare, Medi-Cal, Mental Health Fragmented Care, Health Outcomes, Mental Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
