Reducing Overuse and Misuse: State Strategies to Improve Quality and Cost of Health Care

This issue brief focuses on the key purchasing strategies that state Medicaid agencies and state employee health benefit purchasers can implement in order to reduce the overuse and misuse of health care services, and improve the quality and reduce the cost of care. This brief primarily focuses on actions state purchasers can take with contracted plans, providers, and other engaged purchasers to reduce overused and misused services. The research and recommendations in this issue brief were originally provided as technical assistance to a state as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Health and Value Strategies project.