The Fund supports networks of state health policy decision makers to help identify, inspire, and inform policy leaders.
The Milbank Memorial Fund supports two state leadership programs for legislative and executive branch state government officials committed to improving population health.
The Fund identifies and shares policy ideas and analysis to advance state health leadership, strong primary care, and sustainable health care costs.
Keep up with news and updates from the Milbank Memorial Fund. And read the latest posts from our staff and guest authors.
The Fund publishes The Milbank Quarterly, as well as reports, issues briefs, and case studies on topics important to health policy leaders.
The Milbank Memorial Fund is is a foundation that works to improve population health and health equity.
Focus Area
Topic
March 2026 Cori E. Uccello, Annette James, Rebecca A. Sheppard, Sara Teppema,
Public programs have increasingly sought to address health-related social needs that create barriers to care and health disparities and drive health care costs. For instance, several state Medicaid programs now cover medically tailored meals, housing supports, and non-emergency transportation through managed care and demonstration waivers. More
March 2026 Margaret Koller, Joe Brecht,
Which pregnant women are most likely to rely on emergency department care, and how can they be better served? How did COVID-19 affect birth outcomes, and what would support improvements in future infectious disease outbreaks? These and other questions can be answered with existing state data when these data are integrated. More
March 2026 Shruthika Padhy, Christopher M. Whaley,
Driven mainly by high and variable prices, United States’ health care spending is among the highest in the world. Yet, higher prices make health care less affordable and are often not linked to higher quality. More
February 2026 Yalda Jabbarpour,
The 2026 Primary Care Scorecard data show incremental, but fragile, gains in the primary care workforce and training pipeline. Financing for primary care continues to stagnate, with national spending levels largely unchanged and far below what is needed. There was considerable state variability for primary care spending and for primary care workforce density. More
January 2026 Amy Kinner, Katherine Ahrens, Katie McGraves-Lloyd,
Takeaways for states considering cross-state all-payer claims database collaborations to assess health care quality, use, or costs. More
January 2026 Kara Odom Walker, Rachel J. Thornton, Steven M. Costantino, Andrew Wilson,
“If we want to change the trajectory of adults’ health, we have to start with the health of children.” Over the past decade,… More
December 2025 Farzad Mostashari,
Primary care improves outcomes, reduces costs, and decreases disparities, yet continues to be critically underfunded. The result? Fewer clinicians choosing primary care, particularly independent primary care, declining morale among those who do, and decreased patient access. More
December 2025 Howard J. Peterson,
Rural Regional Organizations for Cooperation present an opportunity to build more robust and sustainable health care solutions for rural areas. More
November 2025 Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH,
Health care should not just be about treating illness. It should be about preventing it, building long-term healing relationships, and improving overall health outcomes. So, when we talk about how to extend life expectancy and improve health at a sustainable cost, the answer is simple: double down on primary care. More
November 2025 Eva H. Allen, Jennifer M. Haley,
In 2024, there were 18.7 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, with Black and Native women at significantly higher risk of maternal mortality. Medicaid is at the forefront of addressing the US maternal health crisis given that it covers 4 in 10 births nationwide, nearly two-thirds of births to Black women, and more than one-quarter of births to Native women. More
