Recognizing the significant role that publicly-accessible and usable data can play in improving the quality and efficiency of the healthcare system, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and certain states have launched initiatives to increase the amount of new healthcare data available in the public domain. Manatt Health Solutions prepared an issue brief for the California HealthCare Foundation highlighting efforts by HHS and states to "free the data" and outlining the benefits to California should the state follow suit.