• Alabama Watch
• Georgia Watch
• Missouri Watch
• Texas Watch
• American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
• Center for Economic Justice
• Consumers Union Nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports
• Environmental Working Group
• Insurance Scored - Insurance credit scoring and why it's bad for consumers.
• Public Citizen
• Center for Justice and Democracy
• The Empowered Patient Coalition

Other Resources

• FactCheck.org Annenberg Foundation's Political Issue watchdog
• Sorry Works! Coalition promoting honesty as best policy in medical malpractice cases

• Hospital Compare www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov

  Compare how well hospitals adhere to key practices that have been shown to improve patient care. Most data measure whether hospitals follow best practices, not how well patients do after treatment.

• Leapfrog Group www.leapfroggroup.org

Compare how consistently 1,300 hospitals follow 30 practices designed to improve care. The site includes only a fraction of the country's 6,000 or so hospitals.

• National Association of Health Data Organizations www.nahdo.org/qualityreports.aspx

See at a glance which states provide hospital data in a consumer-friendly form. (Doesn't link to state agency Web sites).

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality www.talkingquality.gov/compendium/

Find links to state agencies offering reports, searchable databases and other information on hospitals and other health-care organizations. Some information is dated; follow links to state-specific Web sites.

• Health Grades www.healthgrades.com

Compare more than 5,000 hospitals on 32 conditions and procedures, including complication and death rates. Much of the information is free, but more comprehensive reports cost $18.

• Dartmouth Atlas www.dartmouthatlas.com

Get detailed information on how hospitals care for patients shortly before they die, including transfers to hospice programs and time spent in ICU. Designed for researchers and policymakers, very detailed data can make searches complicated.