State Health Policy Leadership

As health departments brace for potential additional funding losses, Morgan McDonald calls on state and local staff and policymakers on all sides of the aisle to communicate the impact of the cuts, particularly with their federal delegations. More

With federal funding cuts affecting local health departments, running a strong ground game is more challenging now than ever.   More

For decades, the program has connected lower-income older adults and people with disabilities to the kind of care that helps them live with independence and purpose. More

In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Milbank Memorial Fund convened the second of two virtual meetings in support of the multi-state Secretary’s Postpartum Maternal Health Collaborative. More

In the spring of 2021, my favorite T-shirt to wear on the soccer sidelines sported an image of Dolly Parton singing “Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vacceeeeeene” to the tune of “Jolene.” Parton herself sang the rewritten lyrics repeatedly urging Tennesseans to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. It prompted countless conversations about how the vaccine was made, where people could get it, and how safe it was. As a state public health official, my colleagues and I were rejoicing at how quickly the Trump administration had indeed delivered on a several vaccine options less than a year into the pandemic. More

Developing Sufficient Rates. As of January 2024, there was significant variation in Medicaid payment rates for CHW/P/CHR services covered by… More

1. (Definition) A community health worker, promotore, and community health representative (CHW/P/CHR) is a frontline public health worker who is… More

Community health workers, promotores, and community health representatives have historically relied on a patchwork of grants for funding, but more than half of state Medicaid programs have now implemented some form of CHW/P/CHR coverage and payment policy. This toolkit provides model language for state Medicaid leaders and CHW/P/CHR advocates to use as they develop State Plan Amendments and accompanying guidance documents to establish coverage and payment for CHW/P/CHR services. More