Reports on Health

Little Hoover Commission Reports on Health

On April 30, 1998, the Secretary for the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency submitted Governor's Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1998 to the Little Hoover Commission. The plan, which was amended by the Administration on May 27, 1998, would dissolve the Department of Corporations, transfer the department's health-care related regulatory programs to a new Department of Managed Care, and would transfer certain investment and lender-fiduciary programs from the Department of Corporations to the Department of Financial Services. On June 25, 1998, the Commission recommended that the Legislature reject the Plan.

Positioning California for Health Care Reform (Report #123, September 1993)

California is far behind other states in moving to implement health care reforms, and at least one barrier is a reluctance to approach the health care needs of state workers and Medi-Cal recipients in a unified manner. In this policy analysis, the Commission makes three recommendations to create a temporary commission to put forth a single plan for a health system, establish a unit within the Department of Health Services to create clinical guidelines that weed out useless and ineffective health care treatments, and perform educational outreach to help consumers make better use of their health care benefits.

Coordinating the Spending on Drug Prevention Programs (Report #112, October 1991)

Follow-up to the Commission's 1988 study of the multitude of programs directed at drug abuse prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery and the State's funding mechanisms, this report discusses the State's efforts to coordinate these programs. In two findings and four recommendations, the Commission urges the State to continue its coordination efforts in the fight against drug abuse, to move aggressively toward block grant funding, and to establish a system for evaluating the success of its efforts.

A Prescription for Medi-Cal (Report #106, November 1990)

Three persistent problems plague this complex program: recipients have difficulty accessing treatment; the quality of medical care given recipients is often poor or inconsistent throughout the state; and provider participation is low. This Commission report contains 28 recommendations based on 12 findings. The recommendations embodied in this report can be generalized in three main points: 1) streamline present processes that affect recipients and providers; 2) expand the use of the State's purchasing power to bargain for more efficient and effective ways of providing medical care; and 3) explore the potential of prioritizing health care services.

California's Coordination of AIDS Services (Report #104, May 1990)

While the State has commited substantial resources to dealing with AIDS (more than $128 million in 1989-90), there is no coordinated effort to maximize the effect of those dollars. In addition, the lack of firm leadership, commitment and sense of direction at the State level has meant that the State's steps toward coordination have been tentative, halting and, in general, unsuccessful. This report on AIDS services contains four findings and four recommendations to make the Office of AIDS more effective.

Meeting the Needs of California's Homeless: It Takes More Than a Roof (Report #95, May 1989)

In California, 16 programs specifically targeting the homeless are spread across at least 10 state departments and six different state agencies. The Commission's report finds that despite intense interest in meeting the needs of the homeless and despite the allocation of considerable resources to do so, the State has failed to provide an effective safety net that ensures people will be adequately housed. This report makes three findings and 13 recommendations, which include unifying all state programs dealing with the homeless under the State Health and Welfare Agency, and creating centers throughout the state where homeless people may apply in one location for all forms of aid for which they are eligible.

Review of the State's Medi-Cal Program and the Effects of the Reforms (Report #81, May 1987)

This letter report assesses the numerous changes undertaken to implement the major Medi-Cal reforms that occurred in 1982 and to determine if any further changes and improvements are warranted in the Medi-Cal program. In addition, the report contains the Commission's recommendations regarding the overall funding level of the Medi-Cal program, uncompensated care and access to health care by the medically indigent.

Report on the Coordination of Funding for Drug Programs in the State of California (Report #89, June 1988)

In this letter report, the Commission examines the state's system of handling state and federal drug use prevention funds. This report contains three findings and 10 recommendations. Chief among these, the Commission recommends that the Governor and the Legislature establish a master plan for addressing drug abuse in California. Specifically, this plan should encourage cooperation and coordination by drug program administrators, school districts, law enforcement agencies at the State and local levels and with community-based organizations.

Accessibility of the Disabled Population to Substance Abuse Treatment (Report #79, May 1987)

Federal and state mandates require substance abuse programs to be accessible to disabled people. This report examines how effective these mandates are, identifies the size of the disabled abusing population, and determines if there are adequate methods of coordinating information and referrals to ensure the delivery of services. The Commission makes three findings and three recommendations regarding the effectiveness and accessibility of alcohol and drug services for persons with disabilities.

Reports by Subject List of All Reports
Reports and Ordering Information