Altarum Institute forms new center to focus on macro-economics of health spending

Altarum Institute President and CEO Lincoln Smith today announced the formation of the Altarum Institute Center for Studying Health Spending. The center will be a part of Altarum's internal Systems Research and Initiatives (SRI) group and will focus on the macro-economics of health spending, health workforce, government outlays, and long-term fiscal sustainability.

“A formal organizational unit is a visible commitment by Altarum to continue our work to understand the economics of the health policy environment - and to use that knowledge to drive health systems change.”

"The Center for Studying Heath Spending is a part of our ongoing efforts to investigate cost growth trends, key drivers, and potential policy strategies as the U.S. moves into a new post-health reform era," said Smith in making the announcement.

Dr. Charles Roehrig, who has led much of the economic research work at Altarum for many years, will be the center's director. Dr. Thomas Walke, also of Altarum, will serve as his deputy. Other Altarum researchers joining the center's staff include Dr. George Miller, Paul Hughes-Cromwick, and Ani Turner.

Altarum researchers have published significant works on health economics and spending in recent years, receiving attention from major national publications like Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, and ABC News. Research has included a first-of-its-kind study by Charles Roehrig of spending by individual medical condition, which showed that mental disorders and heart conditions are the two most expensive medical conditions in the United States. George Miller also published a ground-breaking study demonstrating that the share of U.S. national health expenditures on prevention is higher than commonly estimated.

"This center's team has already tackled unique modeling challenges and achieved significant recognition for its work," said Smith. "A formal organizational unit is a visible commitment by Altarum to continue our work to understand the economics of the health policy environment - and to use that knowledge to drive health systems change."