Center in the News

The findings of our study shed light on a powerful machine learning algorithm that enables us to identify individuals who would benefit the most from strict blood pressure control, which can be a crucial element in achieving the precision medicine," said senior author Yusuke Tsugawa, an associate professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and of health policy and management at the Fielding School in a statement about the study.

The findings of our study shed light on a powerful machine learning algorithm that enables us to identify individuals who would benefit the most from strict blood pressure control, which can be a crucial element in achieving the precision medicine," said senior author Yusuke Tsugawa, an associate professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and of health policy and management at the Fielding School in a statement about the study.

Housing issues are public health issues because of how they affect people's health and well-being," said Sean Tan, a senior public administration analyst at UCLA CHPR. "People struggling to pay for housing have been shown to cut back on health care and basic necessities, leading to overall poorer health.

One ongoing effort to address perinatal depression is the Health Equity Challenge. It is a program co-developed by MolinaCares under its California Equity and Accessibility Initiative and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. The Health Equity Challenge asked UCLA students to create proposals in partnership with local community-based organizations to address health equity issues. One of the selected finalists, UCLA graduate student Alma Lopez, chose to focus on perinatal depression in mothers of color.

One in three Californians rely on Medi-Cal for health coverage. According to the 2021 California Health Interview Survey, among people with Medi-Cal, 15% of individuals live with diabetes and 34% suffer from high blood pressure. Black Californians are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than white Californians and more than 10% more likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure. Medically supportive food and nutrition (MSF&N) interventions can prevent and treat these often-debilitating chronic conditions.

In an evaluation brief published in July 2018, researchers from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research reported that: 

• PAD programming like guided walking clubs, group exercise, team sports, and other physical activities helped to reduce costs for both the County of Los Angeles and the participants by reducing expenditures for treating chronic diseases. The report estimated savings of $1.1 million for 2017.
• PAD’s safety efforts prevented 41 violent crimes and almost 480 nonviolent crimes in neighborhoods near County parks between 2010 and

But an analysis from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that such programs saved “an average of $383 per Medi-Cal beneficiary per year — a meager amount compared with the program’s cost.

In 2016, California launched a pilot program in 26 counties for Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, to pay for some housing-related expenses such as security deposits and furniture, but not rent. A study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that the program saved taxpayers an estimated $383 per patient annually.

Over five years the program has reduced expensive hospital stays and emergency room visits for people on Medicaid, saving taxpayers an average of $383 per patient per year, according to an analysis by researchers at UCLA.

The study, based on responses to the 2021 California Health Interview Survey, reveals that 1 in 10 adults in the state, or approximately 3 million people, faced difficulties in paying for housing this year. Renters, in particular, were more vulnerable, with 18.6% reporting struggles to pay their landlords, compared to only 5% of homeowners who faced similar difficulties. Housing instability was also an issue for 4.4% of California adults.