California’s 3% Health Care Spending Target Prompts Angst, Anxiety

California recently became the latest state to implement a limit on health care spending growth, with a new state agency targeting an increase of no greater than 3% by 2029. Commercial payers have largely backed the spending targets, but providers have argued that the targets aren’t reachable and Medicaid stakeholders — including the state’s largest managed care organization — are concerned that the target may curtail access for beneficiaries and harm the solvency of safety net providers.

The spending target was set by the board of the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA), which was established in 2022. The board’s membership was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. The board set target spending growth rates of 3.5% in 2025 and 2026, 3.2% in 2027 and 2028, and 3.0% in 2029. OHCA will require payers regulated by the state and providers alike to meet the designated spending targets. Organizations that don’t meet the spending targets will be subject to a state-overseen corrective action plan and possibly fines.

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Peter Johnson

Peter Johnson

Peter has worked as a journalist since 2011 and has covered health care since 2020. At AIS Health, Peter covers trends in finance, business and policy that affect the health insurance and pharma sectors. For Health Plan Weekly, he covers all aspects of the U.S. health insurance sector, including employer-sponsored insurance, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage and the Affordable Care Act individual marketplaces. In Radar on Drug Benefits, Peter covers the operations of (and conflicts between) pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical manufacturers, with a particular focus on pricing dynamics and market access. Before joining AIS Health, Peter covered transportation, public safety and local government for various outlets in Seattle, his hometown and current place of residence. He graduated with a B.A. from Colby College.

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