Peterson Center on Healthcare

What Peterson Center on Healthcare does

Peterson Center on Healthcare is a nonprofit organization established by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, operating from New York City with 11–50 employees. The Center's mission is to identify and promote solutions that improve U.S. healthcare affordability and quality through three program pillars: fostering innovative solutions, informing purchasing decisions, and tracking system performance. Its core product portfolio includes the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI), which conducts independent evaluations of digital health technologies using the ICER-PHTI Assessment Framework; the Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs, which supports state-level cost growth targets in six states covering approximately one-in-five Americans; and the Health System Tracker, a partnership with KFF that provides public analysis of U.S. healthcare system performance. The Center was a founding philanthropic partner of Civica Rx, the nonprofit generic drug company, committing $15 million cumulatively to support generic drug accessibility and low-cost insulin manufacturing.

The organization's business model is philanthropic grantmaking funded entirely by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation endowment. Rather than generating revenue through product sales, the Center channels resources to state governments, academic institutions, nonprofit drug manufacturers, and digital health evaluators through directed grants. Distribution occurs through research publications, federal regulatory comment letters to HHS/Treasury/Labor/CMS, Congressional testimony, media engagement, and direct state government partnerships. Recent strategic activity has been concentrated in three areas: scaling PHTI's digital health evaluation portfolio (diabetes, musculoskeletal, hypertension, behavioral health), expanding federal regulatory engagement on price transparency and Medicare payment policy, and broadening the research ecosystem through partnerships with Yale, ICER, IHME, and employer purchaser coalitions. The Center has no products or services sold commercially and no disclosed software platform or API; its "products" are research reports, policy frameworks, and grant-funded initiatives.

Name

Peterson Center on Healthcare

Legal name

Peterson Center on Healthcare

Website

https://petersonhealthcare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Peterson Center on Healthcare is a nonprofit, founded by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, that advances U.S. healthcare affordability through digital health technology evaluations (PHTI), state-level cost growth target programs (Peterson-Milbank), and policy research serving state governments, employers, and federal regulators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Policy Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Health and Welfare Funds (52512)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Research Funding Agencies (Public/Quasi-Public) (HLAJALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chronic Disease & Health Promotion Program Funding (HLAJALAJ), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF), Cardiometabolic RPM & Chronic Disease Management (diabetes, hypertension, CHF, obesity) (HLALAFAA)

Keywords

• Healthcare affordability research
• Health policy advocacy
• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Digital health evaluation
• Healthcare cost transparency

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Peterson Center on Healthcare is a nonprofit organization that advances U.S. healthcare affordability through three pillars: fostering innovative solutions (e.g., supporting Civica Rx for low-cost generic drugs), informing purchasing decisions (state cost growth targets, data transparency advocacy), and tracking system performance (Health System Tracker with KFF). Its core offerings include the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) for independent digital health technology evaluations and the Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs supporting state-level cost containment.

Product overview

The Peterson Center on Healthcare is a nonprofit organization established by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation that focuses on transforming U.S. healthcare into a high-performance system. Its product portfolio centers on healthcare affordability research, policy advocacy, and grant-making. The core offerings include the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI), which provides independent evaluations of digital health technologies using the ICER-PHTI Assessment Framework; the Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs, which supports state-level healthcare cost growth targets in five states; the Health System Tracker (in partnership with KFF) for healthcare performance analysis; and Transparency in Coverage research and advocacy to improve healthcare pricing transparency for employers and consumers. The organization engages in grant-making to support healthcare affordability initiatives including generic drug accessibility through Civica Rx.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI): A nonprofit organization that provides independent evaluations of innovative healthcare technologies to improve health and lower costs, providing rigorous evidence-based assessments of clinical benefits and economic impact of digital health solutions.
• Health System Tracker

Products and services

• Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) A nonprofit organization providing independent evaluations of digital health technologies, analyzing clinical benefits and economic impact to help purchasers, providers, and policymakers identify high-value healthcare technologies.
• ICER-PHTI Assessment Framework for Digital Health Technologies A comprehensive framework developed in partnership with ICER to assess whether health technologies improve health outcomes and lower costs, evaluating clinical benefits, economic impact, health equity, privacy, and security.
• Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs A multi-state initiative supporting healthcare cost growth targets in Connecticut, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington, helping states constrain healthcare cost growth to match economic indicators and wages.
• Health System Tracker A partnership with KFF providing publicly available analysis of U.S. healthcare system performance, tracking cost trends, quality metrics, and outcomes to help decision-makers improve quality and reduce costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• PHTI launched with $50 million commitment to evaluate digital health technologies
• +5 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered significant, core, major, flagship and regional.

• Yale Health Care Affordability LabsignificantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2026The Center supports the launch of Yale's Health Care Affordability Lab, a new initiative led by Professor Zack Cooper to curb rising U.S. healthcare spending through policy-relevant health economics research.
• Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2023Partnership to develop the ICER-PHTI Assessment Framework for Digital Health Technologies. ICER is a recognized leader in health technology assessment supporting PHTI's evaluation work.
• Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2023PHTI was founded by the Peterson Center on Healthcare as a nonprofit organization providing independent evaluations of healthcare technologies. PHTI analyzes clinical benefits and economic impact of digital health solutions in partnership with ICER. Launched with a $50 million commitment.
• Washington State Health Care AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2023Recipient of $1.7 million grant to support a partnership with IHME for the Analytic Support Initiative. Supports the Health Care Cost Transparency Board's efforts to reduce healthcare spending in Washington State.
• Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2023Independent health research center at University of Washington partnered with Washington State HCA through Peterson Center funding to provide world-class analytics for healthcare spending analysis and transparency.
• Milbank Memorial FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2023Partnership for the Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs, supporting states' efforts to make healthcare more affordable. The Milbank Memorial Fund received a $2.7 million grant to drive state-level healthcare affordability research and implementation of cost growth targets.
• Civica RxflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2018Peterson Center on Healthcare is a founding partner, funder, and governing member of Civica Rx, a nonprofit generic drug company. The Center committed $15 million to support Civica's mission to provide affordable, essential generic drugs and ensure predictable supply. The partnership aims to address chronic drug shortages and rising prices of life-saving medications.
• Simple HealthcaresignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter grantee that published a white paper providing recommendations for improving Transparency in Coverage (TiC) data. Research focuses on filtering ghost rates, structuring claims volume reporting, and improving file architecture.
• One Utah Health CollaborativeregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Utah's healthcare affordability initiatives alongside Governor Spencer Cox's office, supporting the Utah Model of Care for data-driven care delivery.
• Employers' Forum of Indiana (EFI)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition-based approach to healthcare affordability through purchaser power, evidence base including Sage Transparency hospital price data tool, and stakeholder engagement for legislation.
• State of California (CalRx)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia committed $50 million to CalRx through partnership with Civica Rx to manufacture and distribute affordable biosimilar insulin. First-of-its-kind partnership supported by the Peterson Center as Civica founding partner.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Arnold Ventures: Philanthropy focused on evidence-based policy including healthcare cost containment; co-founding partner of Civica Rx with the Center. Directly comparable as a similarly-sized foundation pursuing systemic healthcare reform through grantmaking and policy advocacy.
• Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER): Independent nonprofit health technology assessment organization; co-developer of the ICER-PHTI Assessment Framework with the Center. Directly comparable as a peer organization producing rigorous clinical and economic evaluations used by payers and policymakers.
• California Health Care Foundation: Independent philanthropy focused on California's healthcare system with programs on affordability, access, and quality. Comparable peer foundation with similar research, grantmaking, and policy engagement model.
• RAND Corporation: Nonprofit research institution producing health policy and health systems research used by federal and state agencies. Comparable in producing rigorous health policy research and analysis, though with a broader research agenda.
• Milbank Memorial Fund: Mission-driven foundation focused on health policy and population health; operates the Peterson-Milbank Program jointly with the Center. Directly comparable given shared focus on state-level cost growth targets and health system performance research.
• Commonwealth Fund: Private foundation supporting independent health policy research with emphasis on health system performance and affordable care. Directly comparable as a peer foundation targeting healthcare affordability through research, publications, and policy engagement.
• West Health: Family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations focused on lowering healthcare costs for seniors; co-founding partner of Civica Rx with the Center. Closely comparable in mission and grantmaking approach.
• KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation): Independent nonprofit health policy research organization and partner on the Health System Tracker. Closely comparable as a nonpartisan health policy research and data publisher serving employers, policymakers, and the media.

Emerging players

• Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company: Public-benefit company pursuing drug price transparency and lower-cost medications through a direct-to-consumer model. Comparable mission (lowering drug costs) but operates via a commercial model rather than nonprofit grantmaking — an emerging alternative to the Civica Rx pathway.

Broad incumbents

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: One of the largest U.S. health-focused philanthropies, funding research and programs across health system performance. Comparable in mission but materially larger in scope and budget than the Center.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/petersonchealth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/pgpfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/pgpfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peterson-center-on-healthcare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Peterson Center on Healthcare