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.
Quarterly Department
Quarterly Article
September 2026 Robert L. Phillips, Deborah J. Cohen, Ethan J. Phillips, Lauren S. Hughes , Andrew W. Bazemore,
Primary care is the foundation of a high-functioning health system, yet it has been weakened for decades, and the consequences for patients, population health, and costs are increasingly apparent. More
September 2026 Brendan Saloner, Yngvild Olsen,
State governments play a central role in the delivery of substance use care in the United States, which has a profound impact on public health. More
September 2026 Sara Rosenbaum,
Beginning in 2025, longstanding opponents of vaccines have held the highest positions of federal public health policy powers. More
September 2026 Mary-Margaret A. Fill, William Schaffner,
Over the last decade, the United States has encountered numerous infectious disease-related public health threats, observed declines in life expectancy and childhood vaccination rates, and experienced rapid changes and reorganizations to the domestic public health system. More
September 2026 Jennifer Karas Montez, Jacob M. Grumbach,
American federalism involves decentralized policymaking across federal, state, and local governments. More
August 2026 Pamela Herd,
America’s long-term care policy approach is poverty-based, requiring most older adults to spend down their assets to qualify for limited, Medicaid-funded support, which is biased toward institutional care and plagued by bureaucratic complexity and enrollment hurdles. More
August 2026 Ali H. Mokdad, Laura Dwyer-Lindgren, Christopher J.L. Murray,
Over the past three decades, mortality from leading causes such as cardiovascular disease and cancer has declined in the United States, but the burden of chronic, disabling conditions, including musculoskeletal disorders, mental and substance use disorders, and obesity, has grown or stagnated, widening the gap between total years lived and years lived in good health. More
August 2026 Mark D. Hayward, Mateo P. Farina,
In this perspective, we have reviewed the historical evidence on the association between education and health in the United States, arguing that attention to public policies related to both education and technology are fundamentally important in understanding historical changes in the educational divide in life expectancy. More
August 2026 Jonathan C. Heller,
This analysis suggests a strategic shift for public health: rebuilding people power through partnerships with labor and community organizing groups, strengthening ideological power through sustained investment in narrative infrastructure, and, when democratic institutions fail to protect health, joining with others in the strategic use of nonviolent disruptive power. More
June 2026 Ninez A. Ponce, Riti Shimkhada, Tara Becker, Susan Babey, AJ Scheitler,
Health equity depends on data equity: the representation of communities in the data used to identify disparities, target interventions, and hold systems accountable. More