This article reports on results of a 1994 telephone survey sponsored b
y the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to obtain better information on s
tare policymakers' views of the quality of state-based health data and
selected information on the actual data available. The findings sugge
st that state policymakers cannot identify easily who and how many are
without health insurance coverage, nor do they know exactly how much
money is spent in the state on health care and who spends it. They als
o cannot ascertain quality or consumers' satisfaction with health plan
s, Funding, lack of comparability across data sets, and the reluctance
of providers and insurers to submit required data are perceived as ba
rriers to improving data, Adopting realistic strategies to overcome th
ese barriers may be crucial if states are to assume greater leadership
in health policy and in monitoring health system performance.