Fact Sheet California’s Health Care Safety Net By Shannon McConville, Shalini Mustala May 26, 2023 Millions of low-income Californians rely on the health care safety net. More than 15 million are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program; about 3 million are uninsured. Core providers—including county hospitals, health clinics, and emergency departments—treat patients regardless of their ability to pay or their immigration status.
Report Access to the Health Care Safety Net in California By Laura Hill, Helen Lee, Shannon McConville Oct 18, 2012 How will the safety net fare under federal health care reform? This report highlights areas of anticipated strain by mapping safety net access across the state. It also identifies strategies for strengthening the safety net in times of ongoing fiscal challenge. This research was supported with funding from the California Program on Access to Care.
blog post Mounting Concerns about Safety Net Hospital Closures By Shannon McConville Jun 12, 2023 Safety net hospitals were hit hard by the pandemic, and in its wake some are struggling financially despite a large influx of federal COVID relief funds.
event The James Irvine Foundation Briefing SeriesAccess to the Health Care Safety Net in California Nov 1, 2012
Report California’s Future: Safety Net By Caroline Danielson, Shannon McConville, Paulette Cha Jan 15, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of California’s safety net, which helps millions of low-income adults and children meet basic needs. It has also highlighted disparities in health and economic well-being across racial/ethnic groups.
blog post Creating a Safety Net for Immigrant Communities By Shannon McConville Jan 21, 2021 Through Disaster Relief Aid for Immigrants, California has dedicated $75 million to assist undocumented immigrants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We talked with Joseph Villela, director of Policy and Advocacy at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, about his organization’s experience in helping create this emergency program.
blog post Steep Declines in Child Poverty Have Been Driven by Safety Net Programs By Caroline Danielson Oct 26, 2022 During the first two years of the pandemic, government interventions not only avoided an increase in poverty overall but also dramatically reduced poverty among children, according to the California Poverty Measure.
Report Health Conditions and Health Care among California’s Undocumented Immigrants By Paulette Cha, John Heintzman, Patricia Malagon Oct 25, 2023 In January 2024, Medi-Cal will expand to all low-income Californians, regardless of age or immigration status. Understanding chronic conditions among undocumented patients and the health services they tend to use can help the state prepare to meet the needs of new applicants.
blog post Expanding Health Care Coverage for Undocumented Immigrants By Shannon McConville Apr 4, 2018 California lawmakers are supporting incremental policy measures to expand health care coverage to all income-eligible residents, regardless of immigration status.
blog post How Did the Pandemic Transform California’s Safety Net? By Caroline Danielson Mar 11, 2022 Government investments and service innovations reduced the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The impact of these approaches can inform safety net policy beyond the pandemic.