Health Care & Social Services

Health care and social service programs are as diverse as they are essential, and the Blue Sky Consulting Group takes great pride in providing clients with the careful analysis they need on these issues. From a 58-county analysis of local program rules to a statewide projection of increased service need, our clients rely on our in-depth knowledge and thorough approach to tackle a myriad of challenges.

Featured Projects

Impact of Expanded Use of Telemedicine

The use of information and communication technologies to deliver health care remotely, referred to as telehealth, has been reimbursable under California law since 1996. However, telehealth technologies and applications have advanced over the last decade and a half, leaving the current reimbursement laws outdated. The recent passage of Assembly Bill 415 will serve to modernize reimbursement law, and to help clear the path for the increased use of telehealth in California. Our analysis identified the potential fiscal impact of AB 415 on the State of California, primarily focusing on the Medi-Cal program. In addition, we described the fiscal effects that expanded use of telehealth (as envisioned by AB 415) could bring to other health services payers in California.

Assessing the Budget's Impacts on Local Communities

In both 2008 and 2009, the California Endowment enlisted our help in identifying the impact of health and social services program budget cuts on local communities. We examined how proposed changes to CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, IHSS, SSI/SSP, and state-supported child care would affect local communities and program recipients. The qualitative and quantitative impacts we unearthed were then used to help educate community stakeholders on the impact of the proposed reductions.

Growth Projections for Healthy Families

In 2010, with state budget cuts and federal health reform on the horizon, we estimated how the policy options on the table for Healthy Families would interact with future program growth. We developed a projection and simulation model of caseload, funding, and program cost changes for the state's Healthy Families program that responded to policy choices selected by the user.

The Cost of Universal Health Care Expansion

In 2007, before the recent federal health care expansion, the Schwarzenegger Administration proposed an expansion of access to care in California. The California HealthCare Foundation engaged the Blue Sky Consulting Group to estimate the likely fiscal impact of this proposal on California counties. By constructing a model of the likely response of consumers to the incentives embodied in the bill and identifying and analyzing the characteristics of the affected populations, we were able to accurately estimate the fiscal effects of the proposal. We presented the results of our work in a public meeting held at the state capitol and attended by key legislative and administration staff involved in the health care expansion effort.