CHCF December 12, 2025
If you’ve ever tried to get mental health care and physical health care in California, you’ve probably noticed the two domains don’t talk to each other. If you’ve ever opened a medical bill and wondered what you’re actually paying for, you’re not alone. And if you’ve ever given up trying to get care because the system felt too confusing, you’re part of a growing majority.
California’s health care system is too complicated. It doesn’t need to be. We’ve built a system so tangled in rules, silos, and bureaucracy that it fails the very people it’s meant to serve. And it’s not just patients who suffer. Providers, health plans, employers, and even Medi-Cal administrators are caught in a web of complexity...







