Overview

Healthcare spending now accounts for approximately 30 percent of total state budgets. Medicaid costs alone account for 20 percent of state expenditures.

Governors must make difficult decisions as they consider methods to control healthcare spending while preserving and expanding healthcare access. To help states manage rising healthcare costs, the NGA Center is:

• Reporting on trends in public health insurance coverage and costs, and examining state efforts to address the medical malpractice crisis;
• Providing technical assistance on strategies to manage the cost of healthcare benefits, including strategies to control the rising cost of prescription drugs;
• Providing technical assistance to states as they design and implement programs and policies to prevent and manage chronic diseases;
• Helping states to develop strategies to address the cost of long term care.