The American Health Planning Association is a non-profit public interest organization committed to health policies and practices that promote equal access health care at a reasonable cost. AHPA brings together individuals and organizations interested in the availability, affordability and equitable distribution of health services. AHPA supports community participation in health policy formulation and in the organization and operation of local health services.

AHPA believes that the public interest and the nation's health require:

Development of health systems based on the identified needs of the populations

Involvement of consumers, payers, and providers in the public process that establishes community need, sets priorities, plans services, allocates resources, and monitors service delivery and

Making available the health data and information, and related analyses, needed to assess individual and community health and the functioning of the health care system.