The Fund supports networks of state health policy decision makers to help identify, inspire, and inform policy leaders.
A bipartisan group of state health policymakers from both the executive and legislative branches who are focused on improving population health.
Networks of state officials, advocates, and others aiming to invest in and transform primary care.
A program dedicated to advancing state-based efforts to make health care more affordable for residents, employers, and states.
The Milbank Memorial Fund supports two state leadership programs for legislative and executive branch state government officials committed to improving population health.
A leadership development program for early and mid-career state government officials who are committed to improving the health of all people in their communities.
A leadership program for senior state government officials who are committed to improving population health.
The Fund focuses on creating an affordable health care system built on strong primary care and partnerships that improve health outcomes for all.
Improving state leaders’ ability to enact and implement evidence-based health policies.
Advancing policies that create a more prevention- and primary care-oriented health system.
Improving population health through policies that contain health care cost growth.
Our state health policy resources offer relevant data analysis and best practices.
The Fund publishes reports, issues briefs, and case studies on state health policy issues.
Short takes on health policy issues from Milbank staff and guest authors.
Insights from Milbank President Debra Lubar on state health policymaking.
Reported articles and Q&As on timely health policy issues, as well as foundation updates.
Milbank Memorial Fund and Milbank Quarterly webinars featuring state health policymakers and researchers.
Updates and expert contact information for reporters.
The Milbank Memorial Fund is a private foundation that works to improve population health and health equity.
Publication Topic
Publication
May 2025 Sarah Kinsler, Caitlin Otter,
This document describes the hospital-specific market basket methodology, which states can use to calculate hospital performance against the hospital price growth target. The Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs funded the development of code that can be used to perform this analysis using state all-payer claims data. The document also includes key design and implementation considerations for states pursuing a hospital price growth target. More
Blog Post
April 2025 Alex Reger, Lisa Sementilli ,
The Connecticut Office of Health Strategy is working toward engaging employers in the policy process. More
February 2025 Sabrina Corlette, Karen Davenport,
Unsustainable increases in health care costs are leading to high rates of medical debt, sapping the vitality of small businesses, straining state budgets, and dampening wage growth. States have the power to help reduce health care costs, and several are pursuing policies to do so. More
February 2025 Robert Seifert, Emma Rourke, Mary Jo Condon,
This report describes the experiences of states that have designed and implemented policies to pursue these multiple targets and gathers lessons from their experiences to inform future policy development. Interviews with state officials and a multi-state convening revealed the strategies states used to establish their targets and their experiences implementing them. Officials described challenges to implementation and efforts to overcome them. More
January 2025 Anna Rothenberg, Michael Bailit,
This brief outlines seven potential strategies to address high and rapidly rising hospital prices, accompanied by examples from states that have successfully implemented these approaches. More
January 2025
In a two-part primer for legislators, the Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs explains health care cost trends and leading cost drivers, as well as state policies to track and slow health care spending. More
December 2024 Grace Flaherty,
State health care cost growth target programs aim to control health care spending by setting an annual goal for the maximum rate at which health care costs should increase that is tied to income and/or economic growth. In addition to reporting spending growth at the state, insurer market, and individual insurer levels, states with cost growth target programs report spending growth for large provider organizations, such as health systems and hospitals. Reporting on provider organization cost growth is an important strategy for keeping providers accountable for constraining spending growth. However, accurately attributing spending to these large provider entities can be challenging. More
December 2024
In this Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Cost-sponsored video produced by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser… More
November 2024 Sarah Bartelmann,
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is implementing a mix of transparency, performance improvement plans, and financial penalties to ensure health plans and provider organizations take actions to meet the state’s target. More
October 2024 Sarah Kinsler,
This spring, Delaware took a bold step to mitigate hospital spending growth. HB 350, signed into law in June, creates the Diamond State Hospital Cost… More