CHICAGO, Jan. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Healthcare Financial Management Association’s Vitalic Health today released the U.S. Vitals Tracker, a first-of-its-kind tool that measures the health of U.S. healthcare.
Vitalic Health – powered by HFMA – is designed to bring together healthcare stakeholders to address issues negatively impacting affordability, health outcomes and industry financial sustainability. The Vitals Tracker scores each year dating back to 1997 – the last year of a federal budget surplus – based on a 100-point scale.
The Vitals Tracker score for 2023 – the last fully measurable year – was 35.9 out of 100. The only year that was worse was 2020, the first year of the pandemic. The 100-point scale is divided into five classes, including optimal health and affordability, followed by good, fair, serious and critical conditions. The current score places the system in serious condition.
“The Vitals Tracker clearly shows healthcare has a relentless decline in affordability,” said HFMA President and CEO C. Ann Jordan. “And despite getting more expensive, healthcare has an affordability paradox where funneling more money into our healthcare is not resulting in improved health.”
The Vitals Tracker provides a direct reflection of the healthcare industry and the health of our nation from a neutral organization while establishing context for a national conversation and meaningful actions to come.
“I’m seeing healthcare finance professionals stepping up in remarkable ways, as well as a growing appetite for true collaboration as people from all corners of healthcare are realizing the urgency of the affordability issue,” Jordan said. “And it’s time to get serious about affordability.”
Vitalic Health will launch a series of swarm studies this year designed to identify and solve the most difficult issues driving costs, including administrative complexities. In addition, a payment model consortium of health systems, payers, employers, technology companies and more is being assembled to design, test and scale new payment models.
“In the near term, success means the Vitals Tracker becomes the standard reference for healthcare performance,” said Vitalic Health Executive Director Lisa Eyer. “Ultimately, success means a healthier healthcare industry and a healthier nation.”
Said Jordan: “The public demand for a better and more affordable healthcare system is growing louder. Vitalic Health is here to meet the moment.”
For more information about Vitalic Health and the U.S. Healthcare Vitals Tracker, visit hfma.org/vitalichealth/media-kit/.
About Vitalic Health
Powered by the Healthcare Financial Management Association, Vitalic Health strives to advance financial sustainability and better health outcomes in U.S. healthcare. It facilitates solve-based convening among diverse industry stakeholders to address the complexities of lowering health expenditures and increasing health and lifespan to improve the vitality of communities across the country. Vitalic Health seeks to expand HFMA’s longstanding mission of leading the financial management of healthcare by revolutionizing business practices and payment models.
About HFMA
The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) equips its more than 140,000 members nationwide to navigate a complex healthcare landscape. Finance professionals in the full range of work settings, including hospitals, health systems, physician practices and health plans, trust HFMA to provide the guidance and tools to help them lead their organizations, and the industry, forward. HFMA is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization that advances healthcare by collaborating with other key stakeholders to address industry challenges and providing guidance, education, practical tools and solutions, and thought leadership. We lead the financial management of healthcare.
Media inquiries:
Brad Dennison
bdennison@hfma.org
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