California health program successfully cut hospital visits

By ADAM BEAM
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A five-year experiment aimed at improving care for some of California’s most at-risk Medicaid patients reduced hospitalizations and saved taxpayers money. The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research on Wednesday said California’s Whole Person Care pilot projects saved an estimated $383 per patient per year. The program cost $3.6 billion and included 25 pilot programs across 26 counties. It sought to combine a person’s medical care with other services, including transportation, housing and education. The pilot programs ended in December 2021. But California is already expanding these services statewide through its overhaul of the state Medicaid program.