Policy makers want to better understand how much states spend on health care overall, how that amount has changed over time, what is driving it higher, and which policy approaches are containing costs while improving health outcomes. The project will feature three lines of research:
- a 50-state study that sets a baseline of state health care costs, cost drivers, and revenue sources over the past 10 years;
- in-depth case studies of key cost drivers; and
- multi-state reports on the effectiveness of efforts to contain health care spending. Pew’s work in the areas of states’ public sector retirement benefits and corrections will complement this research.
RESEARCH from the Project
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- Report
- State Health Care Spending
Combating Medicaid Fraud and Abuse
States are targeting Medicaid fraud and abuse with an array of policies and tools. To help policy makers learn about steps taken in their state and across the country, the State Health Care Spending Project created an online database containing hundreds of practices found to be promising by state and federal Medicaid agencies.
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- Interactive
- State Health Care Spending
Medicaid Anti-Fraud and Abuse Practices
This first-of-its-kind database compiles and categorizes promising practices states employ to combat Medicaid fraud and abuse. more
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- Report
- State Health Care Spending
Health Care Spending Slowdown? Not for States and Localities
While total U.S. health care spending grew slowly in 2011, rising about 4 percent, the story for state and local governments was dramatically different.
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January 16, 2013
A Widening Gap in Cities
A number of the nation’s key cities face unpaid bills for the retirement benefits they have promised their employees. This report examines pension and retiree health care funding in 61 cities—the most populous one in each state plus all others with populations over 500,000—and looks at options for reform.
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December 4, 2012
Q&A: State Health Care Costs
Experts from Pew and the MacArthur Foundation explain why states are seeking to better understand state health care costs and how the State Health Care Spending Project will find and share the answers. more
