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.
Quarterly Topic
Quarterly Article
August 2025 Maria-Elena De Trinidad Young, Danielle M. Crookes, Sarina Rodriguez, Fabiola Perez-Lua, Ninez A. Ponce, Alexander N. Ortega,
Federal and state immigration policies influence access to health insurance for Latino populations. Local jurisdictions also have immigration-related policymaking power, but there has been limited study of their influence on health care access. We examined the relationship between county-level immigration policy contexts and health insurance coverage of Latino adults and youth in California using two measures that capture local-level policy decisions and immigration policy–related social inequity. More
Quarterly Opinion
August 2025 John E. McDonough,
No discernible difference exists between the ACA mandate penalty that was overturned by the US Supreme Court and the mandate penalty in the 2025 OBBBA. More
August 2025 Sara Rosenbaum,
Despite a mountain of evidence showing its deleterious effects, a Medicaid work requirement is now law. The mandate, considered by its supporters to be a centerpiece of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), is the product of a desperate search to find ways to help offset over $3 trillion in tax losses, coupled with the enduring desire among Affordable Care Act (ACA) opponents to repeal the Medicaid expansion for working-age adults. To accomplish their goal, Medicaid advocates coupled a claim that removing millions of people from Medicaid somehow makes the program more efficient with grossly misleading “research” characterizing Medicaid beneficiaries as healthy adults living off their benefits, with free time on their hands. More
August 2025 Tiffany Joseph,
The GOP Plan to End Obamacare involves fiscally starving it to death rather than an explicit repeal. Trump’s recent signing of the “Big Beautiful Bill” brings us closer to that harsh reality. More
August 2025 Rick Mayes, Micah Johnson,
From 2004 to 2024, Medicare Advantage (MA) went from being a “policy disappointment,” covering 12% of all Medicare beneficiaries, to predominance, covering more than one-half (52%), with more growth predicted in the future. Drawing on an extensive review and synthesis of the literature, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) reports, congressional committee hearings, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data, this paper analyzes the evolution of Medicare and managed care in three parts More
July 2025 Gabriela Plasencia, Kamaria Kaalund, Olurotimi Kukoyi, Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, Andrea Thoumi,
Populations that identify as Latino/a/e/x or Hispanic (herein referred to as Latine) in the United States continue to face disproportion-ate health… More
June 2025 Jamila Michener, Sarah E. Gollust,
Americans from across the political spectrum oppose cuts to Medicaid, believe that the program is effective, and are willing to take steps to defend Medicaid. More
June 2025 Thom Walsh,
Millions of Americans possess insurance cards yet hesitate to use them. Escalating premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses now impact not only low-income families but nearly everyone except the wealthiest. Annual out-of-pocket costs for a family of four now exceed $20,000—enough to buy a new car each year. These substantial expenses compel families to skip preventive services and essential medical care. The notion that “some coverage is better than none” falters when cost-sharing deters care and heightens financial risk. More
June 2025 Rebecca Brooks Smith, Gabriella Aboulafia, Benjamin D. Sommers,
From the pre- to post-ACA period, Medicaid take-up rates among eligible individuals increased, and these gains persisted during the beginning of the unwinding period, potentially reflecting increased outreach efforts under the Biden administration. However, areas of vulnerability remain among young adults, working adults, AI/AN individuals, and those in rural areas. More
April 2025 Sara Rosenbaum, Marc A. Cohen, Jane L. Tavares, Alison Barkoff,
Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion passed in 2010, Medicaid work requirement proponents have sought to convince policymakers that… More