Demystifying Health Care Spending

What are the Biggest Drivers of Cost in Health Care?

This paper by the Bipartisan Policy Center explores the many complex and multifaceted factors that are driving health care spending in the U.S.

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Physician Commentary

Health Care Costs Are Killing Us

RWJF Clinical Scholar and Health Policy Fellow Arthur Kellermann argues that physicians need to consider the benefit of each prospective intervention—and forego those which offer little benefit.
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The Cost Issue

How Much Does Health Care Really Cost?

While there is no shortage of data on health care spending at the national and health plan levels, consumers, doctors and most people who work in hospitals or clinics don’t really know the cost of services.

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Consumers' Perspective

Consumers Are Confused About Costs

Researchers found focus group participants aware of rising health care costs but confused and frustrated by what to do about it.

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Research Findings

Problems Paying Medical Bills

More than 1 in 5 Americans reported problems paying medical bills in 2010—about the same as in 2007, which is surprising, given the economy and rising health care costs.

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Improving Medical Education to Focus on Delivering Value to Patients

Mitesh Patel, MD, MBA, a RWJF Clinical Scholar, argues that as health care costs continue to rise, physicians must look for ways to reduce unnecessary spending while continuing to provide high-quality care.

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Most Requested

Data Challenge

RWJF announced winners to the AF4Q Games to Generate Data Challenge and the Hospital Price Transparency challenge at Health 2.0's fall confe...

Cost & Value of Health Care

America is not getting good value for its health care dollar. These resources explore issues of cost and value of health care.

RWJF DataHub

The RWJF DataHub tracks state-level data, and allows visitors to customize and visualize facts and figures.

‘Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.’

As we pause to remember the rich contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we should also reflect on how his legacy can be used to elimi...

What Causes High Health Care Costs in the United States?

Let me explain a little more about how the comparison of the cross-national educational cost comparison works. This requires taking account ...

Low-Cost, High-Quality Health Care: Not Made in the USA?

Open heart surgery that costs only $800? It's a reality. Find out where and how.

Susan Dentzer: Toward a Healthy America

These reports provide an important starting point for the next round of serious health care reforms.

Ruth Murphey Parker, MD

Ruth Murphey Parker's research has focused predominantly in two areas: medical education and health services for under-served populations.

Making Health Care Work

Kelly Devers, PhD, a Scholar in RWJF Scholars in Health Policy Research program (1994-96), works at the Urban Institute, evaluating changes ...

Understanding the Economics of Obesity

Health economist John Cawley, PhD, examines obesity from all angles: costs, consequences, and cures.

ARCHeS Health Care Simulator: Expanding Access of Powerful Simulator to Decision-Makers

Via the Internet, ARCHeS will dramatically expand access to Archimedes, a powerful medical outcomes predictive model.

Do Patients and Their Physicians Communicate About Out-of-Pocket Medical Costs and Their Impact on Health?

Though most patients wanted to talk with their doctor about out-of-pocket expenses, only 35 percent of physicians and 15 percent of patients...

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The High Cost of Care