Explaining Health Care Reform: How Do Health Care Costs Vary By Region?

Although regional variations in health spending have been studied for decades, there is renewed focus on this issue because of the role of health care costs in health care reform and the potential source of funds if addressing cost variations can yield savings.

This explainer examines what is known about regional variations in health care costs and their relationship to quality of care, and addresses key questions about their role in health reform.

Issue Brief (.pdf)