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 blogs from our thought leaders, including Fund President Christopher F. Koller.
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.
Short takes from Milbank Memorial Fund staff and guest authors on research and policies that affect population health
Focus Area
Topic
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
October 2025 Erin Taylor, Matthew Reynolds,
This post describes ways states can safeguard and promote health equity alongside their efforts to make health care more affordable, particularly for those who bear the greatest burden of high and rising health care costs. The post identifies four overarching approaches states can take. More
October 2025 Lara Shemtob ,
I’m running late in clinic. I’ve just had a complex consult, and I have three patients waiting downstairs. I have to document the appointment that has just taken place and put the care plan into action, including by sending urgent referrals. I feel it’s not always appropriate to type away while speaking to patients, which can come at the cost of rapport. But when I document asynchronously, I am left playing catch up. More
October 2025 Anushree Vichare, Qian (Eric) Luo, Mandar Bodas, Clese Erikson, Yoon Hong Park, Patricia (Polly) Pittman,
The newly launched Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) invests $50 billion dollars towards strengthening health care across rural America, including by creating sustainable access to rural health care providers and improving workforce development. As states prepare proposals for the RHTP, they need a clear understanding of the workforce available to serve these populations, especially the primary care workforce available to rural Medicaid beneficiaries. More
September 2025 Amanda Spishak-Thomas, Allison Oh,
As of 2023, nearly 3 million children in the United States remained uninsured, largely due to immigration-related exclusions in public insurance programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In response, state policymakers have sought ways to close the gap on children’s coverage. More
September 2025 Michael Meit, Nicholas E. Hagemeier, Andrew Koricich,
As state policymakers apply for the OBBBA’s Rural Health Transformation funding, they have a significant opportunity to partner with their RPCUs to address the research, and especially, the workforce training needs of their rural communities. More
August 2025 Rachel Block,
The passage of HR1/OBBB, the 2025 budget reconciliation law, is expected to lead to the loss of coverage for 16 million Americans, lower revenue for health systems, and add administrative burden to states. There are a few ways that states can try to minimize these harms. More
August 2025 Annie Cloke, Janée Tyus,
Health insurance coverage for 1 in 5 Americans is at risk as states respond to changes included in HR1/OBBB. These changes follow significant cuts to federal public health funding. Because state Medicaid agencies will have to do more with less, they will need to focus on policies and cost-effective programs with demonstrated results — and may want to consider investing in community health worker (CHW) programs. More
