blog post The Affordable Care Act Has Expanded Community Clinics in California By Shalini Mustala, Shannon McConville Jan 31, 2024 Community clinics have long been a key health care provider for underserved and low-income Californians. With the state significantly expanding the Medi-Cal program under the federal Affordable Care Act, community clinics have become even more important in promoting access to care, especially for new enrollees.
Report Understanding the Reach of the California Earned Income Tax Credit By Tess Thorman Nov 13, 2023 State-designed and -funded tax credits for low-income families are a small but growing part of California’s anti-poverty portfolio. As policymakers explore ways to refine, increase, and supplement the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), they could benefit from knowing more about where and when the CalEITC and similar credits are claimed.
blog post Commentary: An Equitable Recovery for California Requires Two Key Strategies By Sarah Bohn, Dean Bonner, Vicki Hsieh Jan 25, 2021 The current economic downturn has had an outsized impact on low-wage workers, communities of color, and women, and threatens to widen inequality. The right short- and long-term policies could help those most affected while broadening economic opportunity.
blog post Where Are Californians Going When They Leave the Golden State? By Eric McGhee, Hans Johnson Feb 13, 2024 California continues to lose residents to other parts of the US, with the main beneficiaries being neighboring states. However, with the pandemic receding and more workers returning to the office, outmigration patterns have started to slow or even reverse.
Report Income Inequality and Economic Opportunity in California By Sarah Bohn, Dean Bonner, Julien Lafortune, Tess Thorman Dec 7, 2020 The current recession threatens to deepen California’s economic divide and further reduce opportunities for low-income families, communities of color, and women. State policy actions could promote an equitable recovery and address widening income inequality.
blog post Making Water Affordable for Low-Income Households By Sarah Bardeen Jun 21, 2022 Carlos Torres is a program specialist with the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), a new federal program that assists low-income households with water and wastewater bills. We spoke to him about what it’s like working with the first-ever federal water assistance program.
Fact Sheet California’s Digital Divide By Joseph Hayes, Eric Assan, Niu Gao Apr 1, 2024 Digital access is at an all-time high in California—and major investments by state and federal governments have helped narrow the digital divide. But racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities persist.
blog post How Has the Medi-Cal Program Changed over the Past Three Decades? By Shannon McConville, Paulette Cha Jul 23, 2024 As part of an ongoing series commemorating PPIC's 30th anniversary, research fellows Paulette Cha and Shannon McConville discuss how Medi-Cal—California's Medicaid program—has changed and expanded since the early 1990s. One-third of current Medi-Cal enrollees are adults who gained program eligibility under the federal Affordable Care Act.
blog post Inflation Has Affected Family Spending By Sarah Bohn, Jenny Duan May 23, 2024 What has stubbornly high inflation meant for California families? Although wage gains have partly offset the impact of higher prices, Californians—especially lower-income households—are confronting higher spending levels for food, transportation, and other necessities.
blog post How Telehealth Can Bring Equity to Health Care By Paulette Cha May 12, 2021 The expanded use of telehealth visits during the pandemic highlights their potential to increase health care access, especially among underserved groups.
