California Wants To Focus On Making People Healthier Instead Of Just Treating Illnesses
Several state initiatives have been launched over the past few years that aim to achieve savings by keeping people out of the expensive health care system.
CALmatters:
California’s Push To Make People Healthy—And Save Taxpayers Money
That idea is at the heart of the state’s effort over the past two decades to revamp its system for delivering health care to the neediest. The strategy has included a shift to managed care, meshing mental health services with physical care and creating programs specifically to coordinate an array of services so patients don’t have to hunt them down one at a time. (Gorn, 7/8)
In other news about health care costs —
Sacramento Bee:
This Man Cost Sacramento County More In One Year Than Any Other Homeless Person
In a study, officials discovered that 250 homeless people cost the city and county more than $11 million in 2015-16 in jail stays, ambulance rides, emergency police response and use of behavioral services such as mental health treatment. Using a relatively new database that tracks services provided to homeless people, they identified 500 of the top users of public resources and set about trying to find them. (Hubert, 7/8)