As healthcare spending continues to outpace economic growth, understanding what is driving costs is critical for employers, policymakers, and consumers alike.
Peterson Center on Healthcare staff collaborated with KFF to identify eight trends shaping healthcare costs in 2026. Healthcare affordability remains top of mind for many Americans—ranking above food, rent, and utilities.
This brief offers a timely framework for understanding the forces driving spending and what stakeholders should be watching this year.
Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker
Peterson Center on Healthcare Supports Launch of the Yale Health Care Affordability Lab
The Health Care Affordability Lab at Yale is a new initiative to curb rising U.S. healthcare spending by producing timely, rigorous, policy-relevant health economics research.
Why Americans pay so much more for healthcare in 2024
Executive Director Caroline Pearson reflects on why Americans continue to pay more for healthcare each year in USA TODAY.
Privately Insured People With Depression and Anxiety Face High Out-Of-Pocket Costs
In this brief, we explore health spending among privately insured adults treated for depression and/or anxiety.