Contribute research and education to the collection, analysis, and dissemination of spending- and cost-related data to equip public sector purchasers to coordinate amongst each other, determine policy priorities, and understand the landscape of federal policies. 

• Plotting the Public Sector Experience: In order to effectively tell a national story of public sector purchasers, pertinent beneficiary and plan information must be accessible. Centralizing information about each public sector purchaser’s beneficiary population, benefits package, legal authority, and other fundamental responsibilities will allow public sector purchasers to share their state’s story and connect their experiences to national public sector purchasers’ trends. 

• Public Sector Data Ownership: Some public sector purchasers have experienced difficulty when facilitating competitive bidding processes due to the lack of ownership of their data. Exploring options that would place public sector purchasers in control of their claims data allows them to share the information necessary to solicit competitive bids and target interventions to their populations’ needs. 

• Facilitate Collaboration: Without a pre-existing relationship, many states are unaware of the challenges and solutions other public sector purchasers are exploring. Knowledgeable staff who can leverage a central repository will allow public sector purchasers to nimbly work with non-traditional public sector partners on shared opportunities and challenges. 

Conduct research and analysis on the tools and practices public sector purchasers deploy to manage rising drug costs while preserving beneficiaries’ access to pharmaceutical products 

• Pharmaceutical Costs and Consumer Demand: Public sector purchasers report that rising drug prices across the board and increased patient demand for blockbuster medications are major contributors to fiscal concerns. The Institute conducts research on pharmaceutical price and demand trends alongside innovations in industry payment mechanisms. This allows The Institute to partner with public sector purchasers to understand the care management techniques they deploy in order to balance patient access with fiscal responsibility. 

• Contract Flexibility: Many public sector purchasers rely on the assistance of Pharmaceutical Benefits Managers (PBMs) to provide critical services including manufacturer agreements, formulary management, drug utilization review, and others that meet their unique needs. The Institute queries public sector purchasers and PBMs to identify common contract provisions and understand how they meet public sector purchasers’ needs. 

Educate policymakers and other industry groups on the role of Employer Group Waiver Plans (EGWPs) in serving public sector employees, retirees, and their dependents. 

• Educate on the Role of EGWPs: Many public sector retirees continue to enroll in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, particularly EGWPs, to continue to receive high-quality health care through their public employer while managing potential financial strain. Public sector purchasers report that policymakers and some industry counterparts are unaware of EGWPs and their unique value. Ultimately, this lack of awareness causes well-intentioned policies to harm retired teachers, firefighters, public safety officers, and other public sector retirees. 

• EGWP Payment Structures: Unlike private sector health plan purchasers, public sector purchasers have high beneficiary retention, frequently caring for individuals for the entirety of their adult life. Many public sector employees put themselves at risk on behalf of their communities, frequently leading to poorer health outcomes later in life. To continue their commitment to care for public servants while managing taxpayer dollars, public sector purchasers can creatively provide retirees with financial and supplemental benefits due to the flexibility of EGWP payment structures. 

• EGWP Solvency and Access: EGWPs offer public sector retirees with more financial and supplemental benefits than traditional Medicare including dental and vision coverage and minimized out-of-pocket costs. Public sector purchasers on behalf of their employees, retirees, and their dependents have expressed interest in exploring policies that could promote access to EGWPs. 

Research and educate the public on the higher costs public sector employees, retirees, their dependents, and taxpayers pay as a result of anti-competitive practices.

• Competition as a Driver of Quality and Cost: Across the country, health care industry experts and everyday Americans are noticing widespread provider consolidation. In harmony with other researchers, the Institute is charting the impact of consolidation on health outcomes and service costs to elucidate the differential effects on public sector employees, retirees, their dependents, and taxpayers.   

• Provider Pricing Practices: All patients, including public sector employees with fixed incomes, rely on hospital systems to provide fair pricing structures that incentivize high-quality care and empower them to make informed decisions. The Institute explores policy options that promote competition to identify ways to empower public sector employees, retirees, and their dependents to make informed decisions about their health care team and interventions before utilizing services.