Helping Counties Make Sense of Medicaid Changes

Counties across California are preparing for major Medi-Cal policy shifts, yet they lacked the clear, localized insight needed to understand what those changes would mean on the ground. While researchers had studied the federal and statewide implications of upcoming reforms, almost no analysis existed at the county level where impacts are felt first.

Counties are responsible for administering Medi-Cal and managing the real time policy effects on local health systems. Without accessible, county specific data, leaders struggle to make sense of how enrollment patterns, provider capacity, community health outcomes, and potential health related job losses might unfold in their own regions. This left counties without the clarity required for proactive planning at the exact moment when stakes were highest for their communities.

Our team created rapid, nonpartisan “Medi-Cal County Snapshots” that translated complex policy changes into plain-language, county specific insights.

We paired quantitative data with on-the-ground perspectives from county executives, health departments, and human services leaders to ensure the tools reflected real operational conditions.

We also facilitated a statewide learning series that brought counties together to compare challenges, strategies, and emerging trends.

The result was a practical, replicable model for agile policy analysis that empowered counties to see what was coming, understand their risks, and make informed decisions with confidence.

Counties used the snapshots to brief boards, align internal teams, strengthen advocacy, and prepare their health systems for upcoming changes - giving them clarity and agency in a shifting policy landscape.

See the snapshots here.