Inland Empire: increasing Medi-Cal coverage spurs safety-net growth
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- California health care almanac (California HealthCare Foundation)
- Author(s):
- Newman, Matthew, author Paci, James, author
- Contributor(s):
- California HealthCare Foundation, issuing body.
- Publication:
- [Oakland, CA] : California Health Care Foundation, December 2020
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Medicaid -- statistics & numerical data Safety-net Providers -- statistics & numerical data California United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- A sprawling region of more than 27,000 square miles, the Inland Empire of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties is a study in geographic contrasts, with urban population centers in the west and rural, sparsely populated areas to the east. The region has enjoyed continued population and employment growth, although it continues to be poorer and less healthy than other parts of California. In recent years, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has continued to play a large role in shaping the Inland Empire's health care sector, with increased Medi-Cal coverage decreasing the share of uninsured people and spurring growth of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Small group or solo physician practices remain common in the region; however, the landscape is shifting. Throughout the Inland Empire, provider shortages remain a pressing concern, although new medical schools may increase physician supply. The region has experienced a number of changes since the previous study, in 2015-16 (see page 21 for more information about the Regional Markets Study). Key developments include the following: (1) The number of FQHCs and patient visits continues to grow, bolstering the safety net. (2) Many physicians practice independently in solo or small practices. (3) The region's hospital market remains unconsolidated. (4) Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), the region's largest Medi-Cal managed care plan, drives pay-for-performance (P4P) initiatives for Medi-Cal providers. (5) Efforts are still being developed to embrace technology and data analytics to improve outcomes and lower costs. (6) Much of the innovation surrounding integration of behavioral and physical health care in the region has occurred in the Medi-Cal program and among safety-net providers. (7) The region continues to struggle with recruiting primary care clinicians and specialists.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (20 pages, 1 unnumbered page))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101775781 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101775781