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.
June 30, 2025
Policy Report
Publication
Nov 11, 2025
Oct 16, 2025
Sep 15, 2025
Some states, including those with cost growth targets, are tracking health spending and building the capacity to examine health care cost drivers. To date, some states have borrowed methods for measuring health spending and its individual components from each other, but substantive differences remain in states’ approaches.
Robust consensus definitions for health care service categories like primary care or medical pharmacy, and methodologies for tracking spending in these areas, can strengthen analyses and facilitate cross-state comparisons. They also have the potential to strengthen the national discussion around health care cost drivers and cost growth targets and could result in greater uptake of state strategies to mitigate cost growth and prioritize increased investment to improve population health.
To meet this need, two Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Costs–supported work groups of staff and contractors from several states, facilitated by Bailit Health, have established consensus definitions and methodologies for health care cost driver analyses and cost growth target programs (Consensus Administrative Specifications for Health Care Cost Driver Analyses; Consensus Administrative Specifications for Health Care Cost Growth Target Programs). See a Milbank blog by Jessica Mar and Sarah Kinsler for an overview of these products.
Al of these resources complement “Making Health Care More Affordable: A Playbook for Implementing a State Health Care Cost Growth Target, 2025 Edition,” recently re-released, which provides a program design and implementation roadmap for states that are interested in, or in the process of, establishing a target.
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