About: Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow
Mallory Warner, J.D., is a Graduate Research Fellow for The Source on Healthcare Price and Competition. She currently works on the Database of State Laws Impacting Healthcare Cost and Quality (SLIHCQ). Mallory graduated from UC Hastings with honors in 2019 with a concentration in Law and Health Sciences. Throughout law school Mallory worked as an Advanced Clinical Law Student for the Medical Legal Partnership for Seniors Clinic and also as a Research Assistant for the UCSF/UC Hastings Consortium. As a Research Assistant, Mallory worked on a housing conservatorship bill that had legal implications for those suffering from mental illness and addiction. She received a Community Public Interest Award in her last year of law school for her advocacy for the underserved in San Francisco. Mallory earned her BA from the State University of New York College at Geneseo where she majored in Sociology and Political Science and ran for the nationally ranked cross country team.A Record Final Budget for California Brings Funding for Medi-Cal Expansion and the Office of Health Care Affordability
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow August 18, 2021
California’s new fiscal year began on July 1 after the legislature approved a record state budget of $262.6 billion on June 28. The record budget was made possible by a $76 billion budget surplus and $27 billion in federal aid. This year’s budget process was especially confusing, as the California constitution requires the state legislature to pass a budget by June 15. This year, however, the legislature passed a placeholder budget on June 15 that allowed the state to spend the record sum, but the budget bill did not provide …
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California Health Care Quality and Affordability Act (AB 1130) Passes Assembly, On Path to Creating Healthcare Cost Commission in California
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow July 15, 2021
In February of this legislative session, California Assemblymember Jim Wood introduced AB 1130, titled the California Health Care Quality and Affordability Act. Wood was prompted to draft AB 1130 when a 2020 California Health Care Foundation poll found that 84% of Californians surveyed cited health care affordability as an extremely or very important issue to them.[1] The bill would establish the Office of Healthcare Affordability (the “office”) within the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) and be tasked with analyzing health care markets for cost trends and drivers …
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The May Revise: Budget Surplus Enables Push to Expand Healthcare Coverage
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow June 14, 2021
A year ago, Governor Newsom had projected a budget deficit of about $54.3 billion for California, resulting in a scramble to balance the precarious budget by cutting and deferring proposals. In a complete reversal, the May Revision to the Governor’s proposed budget, originally released in January, projected an unprecedented surplus of $75.7 billion this year. The Legislative Analyst’s Office reports that only about half of this surplus, about $38 billion, will be available for discretionary spending.[1] The updated spending plan proposed $267.8 billion in spending, an increase from $227 billion …
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Spotlight on State: Connecticut
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow and Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor May 15, 2021
This is part of a series of summaries that highlight notable legislation and initiatives in health policy and reform of all 50 states. Check back on The Source as we roll out additional states each week. See Connecticut page. Connecticut is a state to watch on healthcare cost, transparency, and competition. Connecticut’s legislature passed a statute in 2012 establishing an All-Payer Claims Database Program in the state. Connecticut’s APCD, Healthscore CT, contains information about the quality, price and cost of health services in the state to allow healthcare consumers to …
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2021 California Healthcare Bills Part 2: Prescription Drug Pricing and Price and Quality Transparency Initiatives
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow April 14, 2021
Last month, we highlighted California’s proposed healthcare bills from this legislative session that focus on healthcare market and system reform measures. This month, we’re covering more proposed healthcare bills that focus on prescription drug pricing regulation and price transparency. The bills outlined in this post were designed with the health care consumer in mind and are attempts to curtail excessive health care bills and pharmaceutical pricing, while increasing transparency around consumer’s healthcare plans. Prescription Drug Pricing Regulation Americans spend more on prescription drugs than any other country. In response …
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2021 California Healthcare Bills Part 1: Healthcare Market and System Reform Proposals Lead the Way
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow March 15, 2021
February 19th was the deadline for California legislators to introduce their proposed bills this session. In a two-part series, we highlight some of the notable healthcare bills on the table in 2021. In this post, we focus on a few ambitious reform efforts to the healthcare market and delivery system. Next month, we’ll turn our attention to proposed bills that aim to regulate the prescription drug market and bills that promote price and quality transparency. Healthcare system reform measures are those that change the structure of health care in a …
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California’s 2021-2022 Budget Process Begins with Record High Proposal
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow February 12, 2021
Following a tumultuous year that brought about a pandemic-induced recession and consequent budget cuts, California’s 2021-2022 budget year was initiated on January 8th when Governor Gavin Newsom released a $227 billion spending plan, which is notably the most expensive budget proposal in state history. Right before the May Revise for the 2019-2020 fiscal year was released last year, the Department of Finance projected a deficit of more than $54 billion in the California state budget as a result of decreased tax revenue and increased demand for social services.[1] Obviously, this …
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Post-Mortem Reflection on SB 977: The Significance of What Could’ve and Should’ve Been
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow September 16, 2020
In the 2020 legislative session, California attempted to markedly expand the attorney general’s (AG) powers to intervene in healthcare acquisitions and changes of control. Senate Bill (SB) 977 would have required AG approval before for-profit healthcare entities could consolidate in California. The passage of SB 977 would have been historic and a massive step in antitrust enforcement in the healthcare industry. Unfortunately, SB 977 failed this session without ever being discussed in the Assembly or the Senate. In this post, we review what SB 977 could have done, why it …
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Q&A: The What, When, Who and How of California’s New APCD: The Health Care Payments Data System
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow August 17, 2020
Last month, we discussed California healthcare proposals that were postponed or cut due to budget constraints brought on by the pandemic-induced recession. California’s proposed all-payers claims database (APCD) project, the Health Care Payments Data (HPD) Program, was one proposal that survived. The passage of the HPD Program demonstrates the Legislature’s understanding that health care price transparency is important enough to withstand an extreme budget crunch. In this post, we take a look at the specifics of California’s new APCD and answer some important questions about its implementation and what it …
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The California Budget During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Balancing Act
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow July 15, 2020
The world in January was a very different place than the world today. The effects of the pandemic-induced recession are clearly reflected in the California budget. In January, California was projected to have a surplus of $5.6 billion. By the Governor’s May Revision, however, the state was facing an estimated deficit of $54.3 billion.[1] The difference of $60 billion in four short months was created by the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, legislative priorities from the beginning of the year inevitably shifted, as the Assembly and Senate approved a $202.1 …
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