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The considerable differences in the cost of health care in five states are largely driven by local patterns of resource use and pricing, according to a report released by the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI), a national nonprofit representing regional health improvement collaboratives and state partners working to achieve better, more affordable health care. Healthcare Affordability: Untangling Cost Drivers is NRHI’s second annual report comparing the total cost of care.

Definitions and explanations of the terminology used to describe methods of paying for healthcare services.

The report is designed to help leaders - including providers, payers, and employers - who are working, or wish to work, in alternative payment models (APMs) to understand what information they will need from outside their organization and the processes involved in obtaining that information. It is also an aid for third party entities, including vendors, policymakers and others that provide access to the data sources and data sharing processes that support APM efforts.

Many physicians, hospitals, and other providers across the country find that the current fee–for–service payment system creates barriers to implementing or sustaining better approaches to health care delivery. Consequently, payment reforms must be an integral part of any strategy to create a higher–value health care system. This white paper describes the building blocks for successful payment reform and how communities might approach these building blocks to meet their unique circumstances.

This issue brief describes why the industry must move beyond common but insufficient methods of measuring cost of care, and toward total cost of care, and what types of entities are well-positioned to lead this work. It presents five core components of measuring, analyzing, and reporting total cost, and presents the challenges associated with this task.

The Patient-Centered Primary Care Institute, in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority's Transformation Center, has created an area on the Institute website where you can find information, tools, and resources for Clinician and Organizational Vitality. Centered around addressing stress and burnout, these resources are for anyone working in health care that may benefit from wellness resources and tools.