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Board hears budget and data updates: HPD funding, behavioral health dollars, diaper initiative
Summary
Staff updated the board on state budget proposals and data program developments: the proposed budget adds ongoing funding for the Healthcare Payments Data Program, includes a major behavioral health workforce waiver, and tasks HCAI with a diaper initiative. Staff said HPD data access is beginning for researchers.
Staff and the secretary briefed the board on executive updates and budget items that affect OCA and HCAI work.
Key budget items cited by Director Landsberg and Secretary Kim Johnson: • Healthcare Payments Data Program (HPD): staff said the governor’s proposed budget includes an ongoing appropriation of $22 million per year and 47 positions to sustain HPD beyond its one‑time start‑up funding. HPD is California’s all‑payer claims database and staff reported the HPD data release program has begun accepting applications from researchers for access to non‑public HPD data. • BH Connect behavioral health waiver: staff said the Department of Health Care Services negotiated a multi‑year waiver that includes about $1.9 billion over five years to expand the behavioral‑health workforce serving Medi‑Cal members; HCAI will submit a budget change package describing any OCA/HCAI resources requested to implement related work. • Diaper initiative: staff said the governor proposes a pilot for a free three‑month diaper supply for families with newborns and that HCAI would administer components of that program.
Staff also summarized national trends from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services showing accelerated health spending growth in 2023, including especially rapid hospital spending growth (the national data were used as context for staff’s hospital analysis later in the meeting). Staff noted the HPD data release program and plans to demonstrate HPD use to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and other partners at future meetings.
