“Race, insurance coverage, and language barriers continue to shape who gets care—and who ends up in the hospital.
In 2022, more than 240,000 hospitalizations in California were potentially preventable through high-quality outpatient care, including preventive, primary, and specialty care. These hospitalizations were mainly for chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Preventable hospitalizations contribute to high health care costs in California, as taking care of patients in hospitals is far more expensive than treating them in primary care or outpatient settings.
California data from 2021 analyzed by CPEHN shows that the risk of a preventable hospitalization is influenced by a patient’s race, ethnicity, spoken language, and health insurance. To lower preventable hospitalization rates, California must ensure that all residents have access to high-quality outpatient care, including prevention, primary care, and continuity of care. The policy recommendations highlighted in this report focus on the investments and reforms needed to make that possible.”