News for Immediate Release
October 22, 2026
Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) today published its County-Level Utilization Reports, featuring newly released health care data from the first quarter of 2026. This publication is accompanied by two new resources designed to increase transparency and improve access to timely information.
In addition to offering new data for purchase, PHC4’s County-Level Utilization Reports are publicly available and are released quarterly. These reports present the total number of inpatient hospitalizations and ambulatory/outpatient cases for Pennsylvania residents, with data broken down by patient age, sex, and payer type at the county level.
One of the new resources released with the County-Level Utilization reports is an interactive map designed to improve data transparency through engaging, easy‑to‑understand visualizations. Users can locate their county on the map and quickly access relevant PHC4 data. This tool supports faster, more intuitive exploration of information across Pennsylvania. Additionally, new downloadable Excel data sets allow researchers, policymakers, and local organizations to efficiently manipulate, filter, and analyze population counts for independent tracking and reporting. Together, these features expand the reach and usability of the reports for communities statewide.
Barry D. Buckingham, PHC4’s Executive Director, reflected on the value within PHC4 reporting. “There are stakeholders across Pennsylvania that depend on PHC4 reporting, these new resources will support more Pennsylvanians engaging with health care data and making informed decisions.” Buckingham emphasized PHC4’s ongoing commitment to expanding public awareness through digital innovation, adding, “We are dedicated to bringing forth the maximum value within PHC4 reporting.”
PHC4 is an independent council formed under Pennsylvania statute (Act 89 of 1986, as amended by Act 15 of 2020) to address rapidly growing health care costs. PHC4 continues to produce comparative information about the most efficient and effective health care to individual consumers and group purchasers of health services. In addition, PHC4 produces information used to identify opportunities to contain costs and improve the quality of care delivered.
Media contact:
Barry D. Buckingham, Executive Director, PHC4
