Informing Purchasing Decisions

We help public and private purchasers understand and address the key drivers of healthcare costs to achieve a more affordable and effective healthcare system.

As U.S. healthcare costs rise, employers and public payers—including federal and state governments—are spending more to provide health insurance coverage for the people they serve, without seeing corresponding gains in health outcomes or quality.

This drives down real wages for workers; forces tradeoffs for families; limits public funds available for priorities like education, housing, and infrastructure; and makes the United States less competitive globally.

With little transparency about healthcare prices, uncertainty about health needs, and limited negotiating power, it is difficult for purchasers to address high healthcare spending.

Transparency is foundational to competitive healthcare markets; smart policies; and accessible, quality care.

The Center and its partners seek to equip employers, public payers, and policymakers with the price, utilization, quality, and financial data necessary to inform productive negotiations between providers and health plans.

We are advancing the development of analytic tools to boost transparency and are working with partners to build safe, integrated data collection and information systems that are timely and easily accessible.

Our goal is to improve and restore the potential of market competition and regulatory guardrails to enhance the quality of patient care and reduce healthcare spending.

Our Programs

Advancing State-Based Efforts for Healthcare Affordability

The Center helps build state capacity to monitor healthcare spending and implement policies that address rising healthcare costs.

Advancing Data Transparency

The Center is working to create a more competitive and effective healthcare system by improving access to data and information for employers, public payers, policymakers, and regulators.

Explore other areas of work

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Fostering Innovative Solutions

We advance novel ways to improve healthcare outcomes and lower costs.

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Tracking System Performance

We measure and analyze the performance of the U.S. healthcare system to help decision-makers improve quality and reduce costs.