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.
Health IT
October 2026 Amit Jain, Sunil K. Jain,
Federal interoperability initiatives like Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement transport clinical records across boundaries but fail to aggregate and enrich state-governed datasets, including Medicaid claims, prescription monitoring records, and social service registries. More
Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Policy
October 2026 Benedic Ippolito,
The scale and ubiquity of GLP-1s give them a rare ability to illuminate the strengths and weaknesses of US drug markets and, increasingly, to reshape those markets. More
Child Health State Health Policy
October 2026 Neal Halfon, Shirley Russ,
The health of US children has deteriorated significantly across multiple indicators with trends accelerating since 2007. More
State Health Policy
October 2026 Scott W. Allard, Heather D. Hill,
State governments have begun to adopt labor market policies, including minimum wage laws, earned income tax credits, paid family and medical leave programs, paid sick leave mandates, and scheduling laws. More
October 2026 Alan B. Cohen,
In this issue of the Quarterly, readers will find three Perspectives on such topics as: racial equity impact assessments as tools for advancing… More
Reproductive Health Social drivers of health
September 2026 Curisa M. Tucker, Jennifer Baumstark,
Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) provide evidence-based maternity care associated with improved birth outcomes, yet half of US states do not grant them independent practice authority. State scope-of-practice regulations may function as structural determinants of maternal health by constraining both the midwifery workforce and the conditions under which care is delivered. More
September 2026
A new Milbank Quarterly study compares US life expectancy by state with that of other nations, finding that, in 2021, life expectancy in West Virginia and Mississippi resembled that of Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, and Iraq. It also was lower than in very low-income countries such as North Korea and Syria. More
Health Equity State Health Policy
September 2026 Steven H. Woolf,
US life expectancy is shorter than in other high-income countries, and the gap has widened over time. More
Social drivers of health Value-Based Payment
September 2026 Dorothy Y. Hung, Lillian C. Levy, Karen E. Schifferdecker, Dasha E. Zerboni, Stephen M. Shortell,
Health-related social needs—including stable housing, food security, and interpersonal safety—and patient race, ethnicity, and language (REAL) are key contributors to health equality. More
COVID-19
September 2026 Charles P. Webel,
The Czech Republic’s COVID-19 excess mortality represents a preparedness paradox. More