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.
The Milbank Memorial Fund has published The Milbank Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal of population health and health policy since 1923. It has also commissioned and published reports since early in the last century. Today, the Fund publishes reports, issue briefs, and case studies, as well as blogs, reported articles, and the View from Here. If you would like to suggest a publication idea within our key areas of state health leadership, primary care, or sustainable health care costs, please email Communications Director Christine Haran at charan@milbank.org.
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Issue Brief
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 Brianna Van Stekelenburg, Rebecca G. Whitaker, Samantha Repka, Emily Proehl, Catie Armstrong, Aparna Higgins, Elizabeth Kasper, Leonard A. Croom, Janelle White, Hilary Campbell, Robert S. Saunders,
Many health providers are interested in making the shift to value-based payment (VBP), as these models can give greater flexibility in providing whole-person care, but administrative burden, variation in payer contracts, and a rapidly changing policy environment can impede their participation and success in these models. Streamlining the administration of payment models and adding supports like data sharing across payers and providers can make it easier for organizations by enabling more flexibility in care delivery, timely access to actionable information, and increased support for the health care workforce. More
April 2025 Hoangmai H. Pham, Wayne Jonas, Mark Smith,
This brief identifies beliefs and common practices in health care culture that the authors suggest have hindered the spread of these models, as well as opportunities for the policymakers and influencers, payers, and clinicians to support whole-person health. More
April 2025 Hayden Rooke-Ley, Megha Reddy, Neil Mehta, Yashaswini Singh, Erin C. Fuse Brown,
Private equity firms, insurance companies, and other corporate entities are using MSOs to bypass state prohibitions on the corporate practice of medicine, allowing large corporations to functionally own medical practices and influence clinical care. More
March 2025 Rebecca S. Etz, Kevin Grumbach, Larry A. Green, Kurt C. Stange,
Primary care clinicians are a bellwether for the state of health care and health in the United States. With the Trump Administration moving at… More
January 2025 Anna Rothenberg, Michael Bailit,
This brief outlines seven potential strategies to address high and rapidly rising hospital prices, accompanied by examples from states that have successfully implemented these approaches. More
December 2024 Grace Flaherty,
State health care cost growth target programs aim to control health care spending by setting an annual goal for the maximum rate at which health care costs should increase that is tied to income and/or economic growth. In addition to reporting spending growth at the state, insurer market, and individual insurer levels, states with cost growth target programs report spending growth for large provider organizations, such as health systems and hospitals. Reporting on provider organization cost growth is an important strategy for keeping providers accountable for constraining spending growth. However, accurately attributing spending to these large provider entities can be challenging. More
October 2024 Elliott S. Fisher, Christopher F. Koller, Carrie H. Colla, Alena Berube,
Abstract Health care is increasingly unaffordable in the United States. While comprehensive, affordable health coverage for middle- and… More
July 2024 Roslyn C. Murray, Christopher M. Whaley, Erin C. Fuse Brown, Andrew M. Ryan,
Policy Points States grappling with high and rising health care spending can draw inspiration from the Oregon State Employee Plan’s hospital… More
May 2024 Lauryn Walker, Lisa Dulsky Watkins, Christopher F. Koller,
States should consider six key activities to prioritize resources and use their authority most effectively. More