AHRQ Launches $11.8M Challenge to Boost Healthcare Competition
Rockville, Md. – October 06, 2026 -- The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has launched its largest-ever market reform research challenge, offering up to $11.8 million to fund solutions that lower healthcare costs and expand patient choice.
AHRQ ties challenge launch to $556.6 billion in out-of-pocket costs
The agency cited Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data showing Americans spent a combined $556.6 billion in out-of-pocket healthcare expenses in 2024. A March 2026 KFF analysis found that one or two health systems controlled the entire inpatient hospital care market in nearly half of U.S. metropolitan areas that year, with concentration exceeding 75% market share in 83% of metro areas.