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Caroline Pearson, Executive Director of the Peterson Center on Healthcare, stated the following ahead of the 50th anniversary of ERISA, which falls on September 2, 2024.

Mairin Mancino—the Center’s Senior Advisor, Policy—testified before Congress regarding the importance of data access to strengthen ERISA and employer-sponsored health benefits.

Caroline Pearson, Mairin Mancino, Frederica Stahl, and Kalyani Thampi discuss how employers and purchasers must be equipped with usable health care market data and provided with guidance, coverage, and policies that enable them to use such information effectively.

Independent evaluation from Peterson Health Technology Institute recommends new directions for digital diabetes solutions.

Peterson Center on Healthcare Executive Director Caroline Pearson states that because states can more easily engage with local employers, healthcare providers and payers, they are addressing the challenge by analyzing spending, overseeing mergers and reducing the costs of medication.

The Peterson Center on Healthcare joined 28 other national organizations representing patients, consumers, providers, employers, and thought leaders in signing an open letter urging Congress to advance site-neutral payment and billing transparency reforms.

PHTI announced today that its initial assessments will focus on remote patient monitoring for diabetes management and virtual musculoskeletal care.

The ICER-PHTI Assessment Framework for Digital Health Technologies was developed in partnership with ICER, a leader in health technology assessment.

The Peterson Center on Healthcare today launched the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI), a nonprofit organization that provides independent evaluations of innovative healthcare technologies to improve health and lower costs.

January Angeles of Bailit Health discusses several recently-released reports on state health care spending for 2020–21, revealing that most of those states exceeded their targets.

Minnesota just took an important step toward improving residents’ financial security and health by establishing a center for health care affordability as part of a landmark health care bill.

In this analysis, we find that privately insured adults who were treated for depression and/or anxiety in 2021 spent almost twice as much on annual out-of-pocket costs compared to enrollees who were not treated for a mental health diagnosis ($1,501 versus $863).

The Peterson Center on Healthcare today announced a two-year, $1.7 million grant to the Washington State Health Care Authority to support a new partnership with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, an independent health research center at the University of Washington.

In this analysis, we find that nearly 10 million people who use ACA preventive care could face higher out-of-pocket costs by a now-stayed U.S. District Court ruling in Braidwood Management v. Becerra, which found the Affordable Care Act’s preventive services mandate partially unconstitutional.

In this analysis, we use various data sources to look at prices for COVID-19 tests performed in an outpatient clinical setting and at home.

In this brief, we examine changes in excess mortality and prematurity of those deaths in the U.S. and peer countries for 2020 and 2021.

In this brief, we examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by race and ethnicity through the lens of premature mortality, using the measures of premature mortality rate and years of life lost among excess deaths that occurred during the pandemic.

Our analysis uses data from the Merative MarketScan Commercial Database, which captures claims from privately insured individuals with large employer health plans, to examine trends in emergency department facility fees.

In this analysis, we explore the costs associated with obesity for people with large employer private insurance, using data from Merative MarketScan’s commercial claims and encounters database from 2011 through 2021.

A first-of-its-kind partnership between the state of California and Civica Rx will help increase access to low-cost insulin for Californians. The Peterson Center on Healthcare, a founding partner, funder and governing member of Civica Rx, is pleased to support this significant step, which will reduce out-of-pocket costs for this life-saving drug.

In this analysis, we look at the share of privately insured people who received ACA preventive care (service or medication).

Civica Inc. (Civica, Civica Rx) today announced it will manufacture insulins for the State of California’s CalRx Biosimilar Insulin Initiative as part of its insulin manufacturing work.

In this analysis, we review the literature on coding practices and using claims data we examine trends in complexity coding across outpatient practice settings from 2004 to 2021.

In this brief, we cover the independent dispute resolution process for settling surprise medical bills and discuss implications for providers, payers, and patients.

In this analysis, we examine transparency data currently shared by hospitals to comply with federal law and find that they are messy, inconsistent and confusing, making it challenging for patients or researchers to use them to compare prices.

In this chart collection, we examine how U.S. health spending compares to health spending in other OECD countries that are similarly large and wealthy, based on median GDP and median GDP per capita.

The Milbank Memorial Fund has received a new $2.7 million grant from the Peterson Center on Healthcare to drive innovative healthcare affordability research at the state level, building on existing work through the Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs.

In this chart collection, we explore recently released National Health Expenditure data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These data offer insights into changes in health spending over time as well as the driving forces behind spending growth.

In this chart collection, we explore trends in how costs affect access to healthcare in the U.S. based on National Health Interview Survey data through 2021.

In this chart collection, using a variety of data sources, we look at the latest available data on how health services utilization has changed over the course of the pandemic.

In this chart collection, we analyze how jobs and wages in the health sector shrank and recovered during the pandemic.

In this analysis, we compare payments for professional medical service claims delivered via telehealth and in-person in 2020 using data from the Health Care Cost Institute.

This playbook provides a program design and implementation roadmap for states that are interested in, or in the process of, establishing a cost growth target. It offers concrete steps, practical tools, best practice strategies and insights to guide states through the work.

In this analysis, we use 2019 insurance claims data from the Merative MarketScan Commercial Database, which captures privately insured individuals with large employer health plans.

This chart collection examines how life expectancy in the U.S. compares to that of other similarly large and wealthy countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

It’s well known that health care spending per person in the United States is higher, and in some cases much higher, than many peer countries. While this is true for the U.S. as a whole, it is not true everywhere in the country.

In this brief, KFF explores how medical inflation compares to inflation in the rest of the economy.

In addition to its devastating health toll, COVID-19 can also lead to significant financial costs for people needing treatment and for public and private payers.

This brief examines how deaths from COVID-19 rank among other leading causes of death in the U.S. At the time of this brief, COVID-19 is on track to be the third leading cause of death in the U.S. for the third year in a row.

State policy makers have long searched for effective strategies to control health care costs. Since the 1970s, health spending growth has consistently exceeded growth in the gross domestic product.

To contain health care cost increases, Massachusetts enacted Chapter 224 in 2012, which established a first‐in‐the‐nation target, called a benchmark, for annual growth in total statewide health care spending.

The Peterson Center on Healthcare has named Caroline Pearson as its new Executive Director. Ms. Pearson, a nationally-recognized expert in healthcare innovation and systems change, will lead the Center’s portfolio of initiatives and grants aimed at working to transform U.S. healthcare into a high-performance system by finding innovative solutions that improve quality and lower costs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth became a necessary and welcome mode for patients to interact with their doctors. But what should telehealth look like post-pandemic?

Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced that non-profit Civica Inc. will invest $27.8 million to establish a new laboratory testing facility at Meadowville Technology Park in Chesterfield County.

This analysis finds that, in July, overall prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index were up 8.5% from the previous year, while prices for medical care increased by only 4.8%.

This chart collection takes a deep dive into employment data to analyze how jobs and wages in the health sector shrank and recovered during the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2021, the Peterson Center on Health Care and the Milbank Memorial Fund partnered to support state efforts to slow health care spending growth.

CivicaScript, a public benefit company dedicated to bringing lower-cost generic medicines to U.S. consumers, today announced the availability of its first product: abiraterone acetate 250 mg tablets.

Little is known about health care spending variation across the U.S. for recent years. To estimate health spending by state and payer, we combined data from the government’s State Health Expenditure Accounts, which have estimates through 2014, with other primary data on spending.

This analysis uses economic projections to look at how the maximum allowable OOP limits may change for different types of private health insurance plans over the next decade.

In this analysis, we reviewed rate filings from plans participating in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces to track what insurers say will be driving premium growth in the coming year.

To examine the health costs associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum care, we examined a subset of claims from the IBM MarketScan Encounter Database from 2018 through 2020 for enrollees in large employer private health plans.

Navitus Health Solutions, an industry-disrupting pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) committed to bringing humanity to pharmacy benefits management through greater transparency and affordability, and CivicaScript, a statutory public benefit company dedicated to bringing lower-cost generic medicines to U.

On June 30, California passed a law creating an Office of Health Care Affordability responsible for collecting data, analyzing drivers of health costs, developing policies to address rising costs, and establishing and enforcing annual statewide cost growth targets.

Civica, Inc. (Civica Rx) announced today it has joined a new coalition of diverse stakeholders to address drug shortages in the United States.

CivicaScript, which is dedicated to bringing lower-cost generic medicines to U.S. consumers, and EmsanaRx, PBC, the only pharmacy benefit manager built by employers, for employers, announced today that EmsanaRx is joining CivicaScript as a partnering member.

In this brief, we use Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, including the consumer price index (CPI) and producer price index (PPI) to analyze prices for medical care compared to other common goods and services.

Civica, Inc. announces the selection of Profil, Neuss, Germany, as its clinical trial partner to support the development of its affordable insulins.

Civica, Inc. announces that Ned McCoy, currently Civica’s Chief Operating Officer, will succeed Martin VanTrieste as Civica’s President and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1. VanTrieste will remain an advisor to the Company and continue serving on Civica’s Board of Directors.

The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC) was recently awarded a grant from the Peterson Center on Healthcare focusing on developing and disseminating recommendations to operationalize Core Principles for Care Models for those experiencing serious illness and their unpaid caregivers across CM

In this analysis, we estimate the number of adult COVID-19 deaths that could have been prevented by timely vaccination. We find that approximately 234,000 deaths since June 2021 could have been prevented with vaccinations.

In this analysis, we look at claims data from private health plans to assess how many insulin users might save money with a $35 monthly cap on out-of-pocket costs in the individual, small group and large group markets.

This analysis finds that many households do not have enough money available to cover the cost of a typical deductible in a private health plan. About a third of single-person households with private insurance in 2019 could not pay a $2,000 bill, and half could not pay a $6,000 bill.

This analysis finds that lower-income families who have employer health coverage spend a tenth of their income on health care on average, including both their share of the premium and their out-of-pocket costs.

The Peterson Center on Healthcare, a founding partner and governing member of Civica Rx, announced today $5 million of new funding to support an innovative effort to create low-cost insulin, aimed at ensuring that millions of Americans can afford and access the life-saving drug.

People want to get back to normal but worry about the consequences of doing so, a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds.

This brief assesses telehealth use from March 2019 through August 2021 using data from Cosmos, a HIPAA-defined Limited Data Set of more than 126 million patients from over 156 Epic organizations, including 889 hospitals and 19,420 clinics across all 50 states.

This chart collection examines what we know about prescription drug spending and use in the U.S. and comparably large and wealthy countries, using data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

In this article, we examine the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on health outcomes, spending and access to care, through 2021.

In this chart collection, we take a look at how U.S. health spending compares to health spending in other countries that are similarly large and wealthy.

In this chart collection, we explore trends in how costs affect access to care in the U.S. based on the National Health Interview Survey data through 2020.

In this analysis, we seek to quantify the number of hospitalizations that could have been prevented by vaccination and the total cost of these hospitalizations.

In this brief, we describe the characteristics of fully vaccinated hospitalized patients who have COVID-19 breakthrough infections, in comparison to people who are not fully vaccinated and hospitalized with COVID-19.

This chart collection analyzes how jobs and wages in the healthcare industry have recovered from the pandemic compared to non-healthcare sectors, and how this recovery is distributed across healthcare industries.

When the G-20’s health and finance ministers announced the creation of a global panel to fight pandemics last week, it was immediately met with criticism for failing to pledge any new funding to combat COVID in the world’s poorest countries.

Men are much more likely than women to die of COVID-19 and are more likely to be intubated and have long hospitalizations. This disparity has existed since early in the pandemic, but the reasons remain unclear.

In this brief, we reviewed final 2022 premium rate filings for Marketplace-participating individual market insurers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The U.S. has lagged behind comparable countries in key measures of health outcomes, quality of care and access to services. The pandemic could enlarge those gaps.

This chart collection examines how life expectancy in the U.S. compares to other similarly large and wealthy countries. Using provisional 2020 estimates, we also assess how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected life expectancy in the U.S. compared to peer countries.

Our analysis of HHS and CDC data indicates there were 32,000 preventable COVID-19 hospitalizations in June, 68,000 preventable COVID-19 hospitalizations in July and another 187,000 preventable COVID-19 hospitalizations among unvaccinated adults in the U.S.

Looking at the most recent data available on deaths from COVID-19 and other causes, we estimate that COVID-19 is currently the number three leading cause of death in the U.S. in August 2021.

In this brief, we once again review how many private insurers are continuing to waive patient cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment.

Though no longer the number one leading cause of death, COVID-19 remains in the top ten leading causes of death, even in June 2021. Looking at the most recent data on deaths from COVID-19 and other causes, we estimate that COVID-19 is currently the number 7 leading cause of death in the U.S.

Prescription drugs—which represent just 10% of national health spending—have remained a persistent issue on Capitol Hill for a reason. Retail drug spending represents 18% of health benefit costs for large employers, even after taking rebates from drug manufacturers into account.

This brief describes ambulance use, ownership type, the share of ground ambulance rides with a potential for surprise bills, and state or local policies aimed at reducing surprise bills for ground ambulances.

A shrinking population of unvaccinated people say they're eager to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Friday.

With a two-year, $2.7 million grant from the Peterson Center on Healthcare, which was established by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, the Milbank Memorial Fund is supporting statewide health care cost growth target initiatives in five states: Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington.

In this brief, we explore the effect that moving older adults onto Medicare might have on employer-sponsored insurance costs. To do so, we evaluate spending by age in large employer plans using IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database.

In this brief, we focus on the recently effective hospital price transparency rule to assess hospital compliance and examine how payer-negotiated rates vary.

In this brief, we review excess death rates in the U.S. and peer countries by age groups to examine how the pandemic has affected excess mortality rate among younger people.

Today we are pleased to announce that Connecticut, Oregon, Nevada, New Jersey, and Washington have been selected for participation in the Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs.

As of January 26, an average of more than 3,000 people per day died of COVID-19 in the U.S. during the first month of 2021. It’s now the leading cause of death, ahead of heart disease and cancer.

Knowing someone who has been vaccinated, and seeing that the vaccine does not produce any significant adverse effects, is emerging as the leading reason people are willing to get vaccinated themselves. This means vaccine hesitancy should diminish naturally as more people are vaccinated.

The Food and Drug Administration announced new steps last week to help ensure that COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines stay ahead of new, potentially more transmissible and virulent, variants, whose emergence makes widespread vaccination even more urgent.

COVID-19 vaccine public health messaging should focus more on the shot’s effectiveness at preventing the illness and promise to bring back normal life and less so on the rare allergic reactions it might elicit, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

This Peterson-Milbank Memorial Fund Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs case study explores how Rhode Island set and implemented its healthcare cost growth target.

In this chart collection, we summarize what we know so far about how health costs and utilization have changed during the pandemic.

This chart collection explores the average cost of several common healthcare services in the U.S., showing the average allowed amounts large employer health plans agree to pay for in-network and out-of-network care.

The Peterson Center on Healthcare announced a new $2.7 million grant to the Milbank Memorial Fund to support efforts to set and track healthcare spending targets at the state level.

This chart collection provides a baseline of how the U.S. already compared to similarly large and wealthy countries prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic—exploring a number of different metrics used to look at health outcomes, quality of care and access to services.

In this brief, we discuss how private insurance plans have taken a variety of steps to expand telemedicine uptake and access during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Americans anxiously await two key benefits that a Covid-19 vaccine will deliver: freedom from fear and a return to normal.

In this brief, we look at the bigger picture of what the latest data convey about how well the U.S. health system is performing, and how the coronavirus pandemic may affect key indicators.

Our analysis of what large hospitals nationwide charge for out-of-network COVID-19 tests show a wide range of publicly posted prices—from $20 to $850 for a single test.

This chart collection examines where changes in healthcare employment have been concentrated and what these changes might tell us about short-term health spending.

In this chart collection, we summarize what we know so far about how health costs and utilization have changed during the pandemic.

The novel coronavirus was slower to spread to rural areas in the U.S., but that appears to be changing, with new outbreaks becoming evident in less densely populated parts of the country. In this brief, we analyze variation in hospital bed capacity by region in the U.S.

As the coronavirus spreads rapidly across the United States, private health insurers and government health programs could potentially face higher healthcare costs.

If we take these six steps to mobilize and organize the nation, we can defeat Covid-19 by early June.

This report provides a road map for navigating through the current COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has already overwhelmed the health systems of several countries and is projected to overburden the U.S. health system.

In this proposal, Michael Chernew of Harvard Medical School, Leemore Dafny of Harvard Business School and Maximilian Pany of Harvard University discuss how price regulations could be used to constrain commercial provider prices in an efficient manner.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that Americans in 2016 spent an estimated $380 billion on low back and neck pain, as well as on joint and limb pain, and other musculoskeletal disorders—the highest expenditure of any health condition.

This analysis uses claims data from large employer plans to estimate the incidence of out-of-network charges associated with hospital stays and emergency visits that could result in a surprise bill.

18 BCBS companies to provide $55 million to help create a Civica subsidiary with the goal of bringing lower-cost, generic medications to individuals and families.

The Peterson Center on Healthcare has announced a new initiative with Ariadne Labs to research factors that drive adoption of healthcare innovations.

A new report from Catalyst for Payment Reform highlights key considerations for using data and analytics to support high-value healthcare purchasing strategies.

The innovative project builds on the success of state-level collaboration aimed at curbing rising healthcare costs and improving delivery.

This analysis includes an overview of strategies employers are implementing and offers a deeper understanding of the successes, barriers and trade-offs firms have experienced in their network decision-making.

Long-term randomized controlled studies show Health Quality Partners’ model of preventive care improves outcomes at lower costs for high-risk Medicare patients.

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society identifies five types of high-need patients—a first step to better understanding differences in how Medicare patients use healthcare and their outcomes.

Research in the Journal of General Internal Medicine explores the connection between high-performing Medicare ACOs and comprehensive preventive care.

Rising drug prices affect patients’ out-of-pocket costs as well as the budgets of private and public payers. This analysis compares prescription drug spending and use in large private employer plans, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid.

To monitor the performance of the U.S. health system over time and in relation to other countries, our newly expanded Health System Dashboard includes a number of indicators across four domains: health spending, quality of care, access and affordability, and health and wellbeing.

Funded by the Peterson Center on Healthcare, this unique collaboration serves as a model for data-driven healthcare cost trend analysis.

The partnership with Northwestern University will foster more effective, transparent, and informed decision-making by patients, families, and care teams.

Dartmouth researchers analyzed survey results to better understand the evidence-based approaches ACOs use to manage care for people with complex needs.

New analysis from the Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker shows that while many U.S. health outcomes have improved over the last 25 years, the share of GDP devoted to health increased by 40 percent, and the U.S. still lags behind other countries in many key measures.

In honor of the second anniversary of the Better Care Playbook’s launch, Jay Want, MD, reflects on the philosophy behind the Playbook and shares his vision for its use.

The Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Peterson Center on Healthcare and Gary and Mary West Foundation each commit $10 million to a new, not-for-profit generic drug company.

The State of Rhode Island and Brown University will study healthcare cost trends in order to improve how care is delivered throughout the state.

Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers and Health Quality Partners will work to accelerate adoption of a model that has been shown to improve care and lower costs among chronically ill, older adults.

This analysis assesses the extent to which patients receive services from an out-of-network provider, putting them at risk for potentially high out-of-pocket costs.

While overall healthcare spending has been growing at modest rates in recent years, growth in out-of-pocket costs comes at a time when wages have been largely stagnant.

These two chart collections examine trends in prices for health services over time and by comparison to comparable countries.

The Peterson Center on Healthcare’s Director of Dissemination co-authors an article describing an effort to replicate a model of high-performance primary care at the Essentia Health-Moorhead Clinic in Minnesota.

This article from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health summarizes practical steps physicians can take to improve care for high-need patients. It was supported in part by a grant from the Peterson Center on Healthcare.

The February 2018 edition of Health Affairs focuses on the critical issue of diffusion of innovation within healthcare.

In this report, we share what we've learned, the questions we are now asking ourselves and our partners, and why we are optimistic about improving care for high-need patients.

A new study published in JAMA reveals that healthcare spending rose by nearly $1 trillion between 1996 and 2013.

Dr. Want brings decades of experience in healthcare delivery, improvement science, data transparency and executive leadership.

Brown University-based initiative will identify hospital systems providing high-quality, cost-effective care, with the aim of replication and broader adoption.

The Peterson Center on Healthcare is testing how to replicate the features of 11 exemplary practices to improve health care practice across the country on four dimensions: clinical and functional outcomes, the experience of care, clinician engagement, and total cost of care.

Catalyst for Payment Reform and the Peterson Center on Healthcare team up to help employers develop, test and share strategies to purchase high-quality, lower-cost healthcare.

For the most vulnerable, chronically ill among us—many of whom cope with behavioral health challenges and struggle to secure housing, food or transportation—the journey to receive the care they need can be daunting.

A new nationwide survey of patients with complex medical needs shows that the health care system is failing them.

The Center announced a new initiative to transform how primary care practices deliver care by installing a proven, high-performance, lower-cost model.

Leaders from The Commonwealth Fund, The John A. Hartford Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Peterson Center on Healthcare, and The SCAN Foundation will launch resources later this year that are intended to help meet the urgent goals of high-need patients.

Five national health care foundations today announced a new collaboration to transform care delivery for chronically ill patients who have the greatest need for health care services.

National Governors Association and National Academy of Medicine identify key priority areas and proven solutions for states to improve the value of healthcare.

The Peterson Center on Healthcare announced an innovative new initiative designed to identify past drivers of U.S. healthcare spending in order to better forecast future spending trends.

Cambia Health Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Peterson Center on Healthcare, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation today jointly announced $10 million in new funding to spread access to clinical notes to 50 million patients nationwide.

The research project is an innovative collaboration among healthcare experts at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Institute of Medicine, and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Today, the Peterson Center on Healthcare, a new organization established by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, announced three major initiatives to advance the Center’s mission to transform U.S. healthcare into a high-performance system that delivers high-quality care at a lower cost.

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation is launching the Peterson Center on Healthcare on Thursday, December 4, 2014, at the Jack Morton Auditorium in Washington, DC.