In a tough budget year, home-based nursing is one of the clearest cost-containment opportunities available

Soua Vang, President and CEO of the California Association for Health Services at Home (CAHSAH), today urged the State Legislature to expand access to private duty nursing (PDN) — and called it one of the most fiscally sound investments California can make this budget season.

"The math is straightforward. Medically fragile children who can't access in-home nursing end up in hospitals — at dramatically higher costs to Medi-Cal. Strengthening PDN access eliminates that unnecessary spend.

Recent analyses forecasted $175 million in annual savings from reduced hospital utilization, with the state recovering its investment in eight months. In a budget defined by hard tradeoffs, that's not a competing priority — it's a solution.

California already faces Medicaid funding uncertainty and rising healthcare costs across the board. PDN funding reduces one of the most avoidable cost drivers in the system. We urge the State Legislature to treat it that way."

More importantly, expanded PDN access allows medically fragile children to receive care safely at home with their families instead of remaining unnecessarily hospitalized.

The California Association for Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) represents home health, home care, and hospice providers across California. For more information contact Tanya Bautista, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Public Affairs at policy@cahsah.org.

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The math is straightforward. Medically fragile children who can't access in-home nursing end up in hospitals at dramatically higher costs to Medi-Cal. Strengthening access to this care eliminates that unnecessary spend.