This report, prepared by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, is the first on diabetes prevalence among Californians using data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2001). It presents findings at the state and county levels on the prevalence of diabetes, access to medical care, diabetes care and management, and “at risk” populations as well as implications for policy. A summary of the report is available in a policy brief - Nearly 1.5 Million Diagnosed and 2 Million More at Risk. The study and development of the report and brief were funded by a grant from The California Endowment. The authors are Allison L. Diamant, MD, MSHS, an assistant professor in the Division of Internal Medicine and Health Services at the UCLA School of Medicine and a faculty associate of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research; also from the Center are Susan H. Babey, PhD, research scientist; E. Richard Brown, Center director and professor in the UCLA School of Public Health; and Neetu Chawla, MPH candidate and graduate student researcher. Among the key findings are: More than 1.4 million California adults (5.9%) and 12,000 adolescents ages 12-17 (0.4%) have been diagnosed with diabetes. Among adults ages 50-64, diabetes prevalence was significantly higher among African Americans (20.5%), Latinos (17.9%), and American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) (19.6%) than Asians and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) (10.9%) and whites (8.3%). In California, 1.8 million adults not diagnosed with diabetes (8.2%) were at significant risk for developing diabetes because they were sedentary in conjunction with being overweight or obese. An additional 176,000 (6.0%) adolescents not diagnosed with diabetes were at risk because they did not participate in regular physical activity and were overweight or at risk for being overweight. Recommended policy actions include: The California Endowment joins the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research in calling for policy recommendations aimed at preventing obesity, ensuring access to preventative health care, and promoting effective diabetes management.

This in-depth report describes cancer screening in California based on data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2001), the largest state-level health survey in the nation. The report examines screening rates for cervical, breast, colorectal and prostate cancers by race and ethnicity, income, insurance coverage, usual source of care, and English proficiency. It provides local-level estimates of screening rates for California counties and county groups. The report also makes several recommendations including the promotion of screening among immigrant communities, education about the importance of cancer screening in the absence of any symptoms or problems, and support for exemplary screening programs such as those administered by the California Department of Health Services' Cancer Detection Section.

This report examines the extent to which managed care organizations (MCOs) that serve

Medicaid beneficiaries are promoting effective management, control and prevention of sexually

transmitted diseases (STDs) among their enrollees—and whether these organizations’ policies

correspond with the actual practices of the primary care providers in their networks.

In 1996 alone, 15.3 million new STD cases were reported in the United States, and the

prevalence of these infections is even higher due to the accumulation of viral non-treatable STD

cases. Beyond the suffering caused directly by a particular disease, STDs can lead to infertility,

pregnancy complications, cancer, and a greater susceptibility to HIV infection, among other

complications. The advent and dramatic growth of Medicaid managed care plans increases the

importance of MCOs’ policies and programs to combat STDs, particularly since the Medicaid

population of mostly low-income women and children includes a large proportion of ind ividuals

who are considered at higher risk for STDs.