Sustainable Health Care Costs

In a two-part primer for legislators, the Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs explains health care cost trends and leading cost drivers, as well as state policies to track and slow health care spending. More

State health care cost growth target programs aim to control health care spending by setting an annual goal for the maximum rate at which health care costs should increase that is tied to income and/or economic growth. In addition to reporting spending growth at the state, insurer market, and individual insurer levels, states with cost growth target programs report spending growth for large provider organizations, such as health systems and hospitals. Reporting on provider organization cost growth is an important strategy for keeping providers accountable for constraining spending growth. However, accurately attributing spending to these large provider entities can be challenging. More

In this Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Cost-sponsored video produced by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser… More

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is implementing a mix of transparency, performance improvement plans, and financial penalties to ensure health plans and provider organizations take actions to meet the state’s target. More

Throughout the country, rising health care costs are constraining employer profits, decreasing employee wages, and crowding out other state spending… More

An August 8, 2024, Health Affairs Forefront article by Jessica Mar and January Angeles of Bailit Health on trends in health care cost growth target… More

In July 2024, eight Washington health plans signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), committing to multipayer primary care transformation. The MOU… More