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.
The Milbank Memorial Fund has published reports since early in the last century. Today, the Fund publishes reports, issue briefs, and case studies, as well as reported articles and short-form States of Health and On Balance: Policies for Health posts. If you would like to suggest a publication idea within our key areas of state health leadership, primary care transformation, or health care affordability, please email Communications Director Christine Haran at charan@milbank.org. The Milbank Memorial Fund also publishes The Milbank Quarterly, an independent peer-reviewed journal of population health and health policy. Article submission instructions for the journal are available on the For Authors page.
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Policy Report
November 2025 Jessica Mar, Caitlin Otter, Michael Bailit,
Over the last decade, high and rising health care costs have squeezed patients’ wallets, strained local economies, and consumed a growing share of state budgets. In response, states have increasingly recognized the urgency of addressing unsustainable health care cost growth through innovative cost containment strategies More
October 2025 Thom Walsh,
Our experience in Vermont highlights both the strengths and the limitations of evaluating efficiency using standard measures of expenses and revenue. More
Issue Brief
September 2025 Nathan Hostert, Andrew M. Ryan,
A recent study finds that Rhode Island’s affordability standards, which apply only to the fully insured market, have led to a 9% relative reduction in hospital prices across the entire commercial market. More
August 2025 Nathan Hostert,
In the first half of 2025, states enacted numerous laws to strengthen their health care markets. These new laws address several recurring policy issues affecting states across the country, including skyrocketing health care costs, increased consolidation in the healthcare sector, and the heightened penetration of private equity in health care systems. This brief highlights trends in state health policy across four major themes and identifies states that have made significant reforms in each of these areas this year. More
Fact Sheet
August 2025 Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald,
The Milbank State Leadership Network hosted a virtual session for state legislators and legislative staff to discuss state legislative activity to address the rising cost of prescription drugs. More
July 2025 Alyssa Vangeli, Sarah Kinsler,
This brief provides an overview of existing state, federal, and private sector hospital efficiency measures; the advantages and limitations of those measures; potential modifications to existing measures; and options for how states can employ new or existing measures to better understand current hospital efficiency levels and incentivize improved efficiency. More
June 2025
Download consensus definitions and methodologies for health care cost driver analyses and cost growth target programs. More
June 2025 Grace Flaherty, January Angeles,
This issue brief examines how three of these states —Massachusetts, Oregon, and California — have strengthened cost growth target accountability. It also highlights five states — California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Oregon — that have leveraged their cost growth targets in other health care oversight programs. More
June 2025 Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald,
The Milbank State Leadership Network hosted a virtual session for state legislators and legislative staff to discuss factors contributing to rising health care costs as well as opportunities for states to slow spending growth and make health care more affordable, with a particular focus on hospital costs. The briefing was hosted in partnership with Bailit Health, the technical assistance provider for the Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Healthcare Costs. More
Toolkit
May 2025 January Angeles, Erin Taylor,
Introduction Policymakers across the political spectrum have long recognized the widespread and growing burdens posed by high and rising… More