New Funding Opportunity to Tackle Rising Health Care Costs in Red States

Hospital prices make up the largest share of U.S. health spending and have risen far faster than inflation—driving up premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and state budgets. In many markets, a few dominant hospital systems use their market power to charge more for the same services that cost far less elsewhere. Consolidation has also allowed hospitals to acquire physician practices and bill routine visits at higher hospital rates, further inflating costs.

As a result, Americans pay more for health care than residents of any other wealthy nation, while many face unpredictable, unaffordable bills that lead them to delay or skip needed care. This isn’t just a health care problem—it’s a price crisis.

Within this national picture, red states are particularly subjected to this strain, especially as federal funding cuts under H.R.1 leave rural and economically vulnerable communities struggling to keep up with rising costs. Yet these same states are uniquely positioned to lead with pragmatic, fiscally responsible, and locally driven solutions that promote transparency, market-based reforms, and long-term affordability.

To this end, United States of Care is excited to announce we are launching a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to join our Red State Health Care Affordability Cohort.

This competitive opportunity will bring together health policy advocates from red states to share strategies, align on best practices, and strengthen state-based capacity to design and advance policies that get at the underlying cost of care.

The goal is to build on the great momentum already happening across red states—helping advocates learn from one another, leverage shared experiences, and chart a path toward meaningful, bipartisan solutions that make health care more affordable and accessible for people over the long term.