Health Policy: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 0168-8510 · ISSN 1872-6054 · Elsevier BV · Economics, Econometrics and Finance
Half of the articles Health Policy accepted in 2025 were accepted within 220 days of submission (n = 204); the middle half took 129–337 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does Health Policy take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 204 | 129 | 220 | 337 | 461 | 1.5% | 98% |
| 2024 | 146 | 138 | 218 | 300 | — | 0.0% | 100% |
| 2023 | 135 | 179 | 254 | 368 | — | 0.7% | 99% |
| 2022 | 147 | 171 | 289 | 409 | — | 0.0% | 100% |
| 2021 | 159 | 150 | 217 | 310 | — | 0.0% | 100% |
| 2020 | 187 | 173 | 243 | 368 | — | 0.5% | 99% |
- 2026: not shown yet — a year is reported once late-indexed articles have arrived (at least 180 days after it ends).
Research articles vs reviews (2025)
| Type | n | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research articles | 148 | 134 | 229 | 339 |
| Reviews | 56 | 125 | 195 | 305 |
Distribution in 2025
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 5 | 2.5% |
| 30–59 | 14 | 6.9% |
| 60–89 | 12 | 5.9% |
| 90–119 | 14 | 6.9% |
| 120–149 | 15 | 7.4% |
| 150–179 | 18 | 8.8% |
| 180–209 | 20 | 9.8% |
| 210–239 | 17 | 8.3% |
| 240–269 | 13 | 6.4% |
| 270–299 | 10 | 4.9% |
| 300–329 | 13 | 6.4% |
| 330–359 | 11 | 5.4% |
| 360+ | 42 | 20.6% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 2 days (middle half 1–5 days, n = 204).
From submission to online publication, the median was 231 days (middle half 131–353 days, n = 204).
Read these numbers carefully
- These times describe articles the journal accepted. Rejected manuscripts never appear in public data, so they cannot tell you how long a rejection takes.
- Dates are the ones the publisher deposited with PubMed. Some publishers record the date a revised manuscript arrived as the submission date, which makes review look faster.
- Invited articles and special issues can move faster than regular submissions.
Open access status and publishing fees
Hybrid (subscription journal with an open-access option). Listed APC: about $4,220 (as reported by OpenAlex).
OpenAPC has fewer than 5 reported payments for this journal in 2023–2025, so no typical amount is shown.
Many journals waive or reduce fees for authors from eligible countries or institutions with publishing agreements — check with the journal and your library.
Integrity and indexing signals
Facts from public records, shown without judgement. See the methodology for why each can be worth a closer look.
| Listed in DOAJ | No |
|---|---|
| Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025 | Yes |
| Retractions | 0 retracted articles among 810 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 1.5% of 2025 articles |
| Publication volume | 205 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+40% vs 2024). |
Topics and scope
- Healthcare Policy and Management (15% of indexed topics)
- Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life (13% of indexed topics)
- Global Health Care Issues (10% of indexed topics)
- Primary Care and Health Outcomes (8% of indexed topics)
- Healthcare Systems and Reforms (6% of indexed topics)
- Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy (4% of indexed topics)
Economics, Econometrics and Finance journalsHealth Professions journalsEconomics and Econometrics journalsGeneral Health Professions journals
Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side
Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2025 figures are compared with the 2025 median of Health Policy, 220 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Economics | 335 (2025, n = 116) | ≈$4,050 | — | No | Yes |
| Journal of Health Economics | 267 (2025, n = 92) | ≈$4,260 | — | No | Yes |
| The European Journal of Health Economics | 227 (2025, n = 130) | ≈$4,790 | — | No | Yes |
| Health Economics Review | 180 (2025, n = 114) | $3,090 | $2,642 (6 payments) | Yes | No |
| Health Affairs Scholar | 66 (2025, n = 246) | $3,150 | — | Yes | No |
| Milbank Quarterly | 136 (2025, n = 54) | ≈$4,430 | — | No | Yes |
| The International Journal of Health Planning and Management | 173 (2025, n = 83) | ≈$4,030 | — | No | Yes |
| Medical Care | 210 (2025, n = 51) | — | — | No | Yes |
| Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation | 240 (2025, n = 111) | $2,890 | — | Yes | No |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Health Policy take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles Health Policy accepted in 2025 were accepted within 220 days of submission (n = 204); the middle half took 129–337 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are Health Policy articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 2 days of acceptance (n = 204).
Does Health Policy charge an article processing charge (APC)?
Listed APC: about $4,220 (as reported by OpenAlex).
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 0168-8510; NLM ID 8409431; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 204 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: none.
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Data sources. Submission, acceptance and publication dates: Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed, entries through Sep 15, 2026). NLM does not endorse Journal Clock, and these figures may not reflect the most current PubMed data. Journal fees and open-access listing: DOAJ (CC0, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Fees paid by institutions: OpenAPC (Open Database License, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Retractions: Retraction Watch Database via Crossref (retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Journal identifiers and topics: OpenAlex (CC0). Currency conversion: ECB reference rates (Sep 15, 2026). How these numbers are calculated · For organisations.