The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) just launched a hospital and health system financial data learning collaborative with 10 states, with the support of Arnold Ventures.
State officials representing multiple offices and agencies, including departments of insurance, Medicaid, health care market oversight offices, and more from Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington are participating to learn and share their health financial data expertise. Hospital and health system financial data is an invaluable resource for states as they develop policy to evaluate hospital performance, support state health care systems, including rural hospitals, and address health care costs. NASHP’s Hospital and Health System Financial Learning Collaborative will empower states to understand and use these data in their efforts to make health care more affordable and accessible for everyone.
The collaborative will include:
- A deep dive into how to use NASHP’s Hospital Cost Tool with a focus on hospital Medicare Cost Reports
- Exploration of hospital and health systems’ audited financials, IRS 990 filings, and other data sources to clarify which data sources answer different policymaker questions
- Consideration of how hospital financial data can inform state policy development and how to effectively communicate complicated information to policymakers and the public
Over the course of the learning collaborative, participants will hear from national data and policy experts and will have opportunities to receive state-specific technical assistance.
The Hospital and Health System Financial Data Learning Collaborative will equip states with knowledge, skills, and resources to navigate and use these data in support of states’ policy goals to ensure affordability and quality care for the residents they serve.
