Report: California’s Health Care Spending Among Lowest in U.S.
In 2009, California had the sixth-lowest public and private health care spending as a proportion of the economy among all states, according to a report from the National Center for Policy Analysis, the Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert" reports.
Key Findings
The report found that California's relative health care spending in 2009 -- the latest year for which complete data were available -- was 12.5% of its economy, which represents 84% of the national average.
Excluding spending on Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, and Medicare, California's health care spending was third-lowest among all states that year.
According to the report, California in 2009 had the second-highest percentage of residents enrolled in Medicaid, at 23.1%. However, spending per Medicaid beneficiary that year was lower than in any other U.S. state, at 67% of the national average.
Variation in Medicare Spending, Usage
The study also found wide variations in Medicare spending and usage in the state's most populous counties.
For example, it found that Los Angeles County was in the 95th percentile of spending per Medicare beneficiary, while Sacramento was in the 21st percentile of spending per beneficiary (Walters, "Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 3/26). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.