State Health Solutions

Each year, people throughout the United States suffer from millions of preventable illnesses and hundreds of thousands of premature deaths, with a combined cost of more than $730 billion. Underlying this tragic reality is the insufficient use of existing health care data that could benefit public health.

The Pew Charitable Trusts’ state health solutions project works with policymakers to improve health outcomes, and reduce health care costs through the better use of data. By creating data-driven partnerships between state public health departments and state Medicaid agencies, the project helps states make targeted improvements to clinical practices by leveraging health information they already have. This health care data is an untapped resource that can be used to identify and close gaps in health care quality and make states and their residents healthier—physically and fiscally.