The Crucial Role of Counties in the Health of Californians: An Overview


 

Publication Date: July 2004

Publisher: California HealthCare Foundation

Author(s): Deborah Reidy Kelch

Research Area: Health

Type: Report

Coverage: California

Abstract:

This report offers a broad overview of the range of health services that have over time become the responsibility of California counties, whether by statute, by practice, or by default. The report outlines some of the basic requirements imposed on counties in the areas of health services for the uninsured, public health, mental health, and substance abuse treatment; the funding streams for these services and programs; and the basic structure of how counties provide the services. The state's unprecedented fiscal crisis will continue to have dramatic impacts on county finances and programs. In this context, the report highlights some of the issues facing policymakers at the state and local levels that will affect the future of county health programs and services.