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Health Policy

The Health Policy department advances health coverage, health care access and affordability, public health and equity, social determinants of health, and quality and efficiency in health care payment and delivery.

A health care professional measures a worker's blood pressure, 2005. (Getty/Smith Collection/Gado/Centers for Disease Control/CDC Connects)

What We're Doing

Building a strong, thriving, and equitable public health system

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored how essential a robust public health system is to safeguarding America’s health and well-being. We are working to ensure that the system is sustainable, well-funded, and ready to respond to future health threats. We also advance policies to reduce exposure to toxins and improve resilience to other threats, such as extreme weather events, that jeopardize the public’s health—especially in vulnerable communities.

Making health care accessible in ways that people can feel

Health insurance is only valuable if people can use it. We are working to bolster high-quality health coverage for everyone in America. We elevate policy solutions to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, lower out-of-pocket costs, make it easier for people to access their benefits, and close coverage gaps. We are also working to ensure that the Medicare program is meeting the needs of older Americans and are advocating for policies to dramatically lower the costs of prescription drugs.

Tackling high health care prices and combating anticompetitive behavior

America’s exceptional health care spending levels are driven by high prices and market concentration. We elevate policy solutions to combat further health care consolidation and to tamp down on anti-competitive behaviors across the health care industry. This includes shining a light on where money in health care is actually going, where market power lives, and who is profiting along the way. We also promote strong regulatory action to counter corporate greed in service of lowering health care prices for everyone.

Advancing health equity and dismantling structural barriers to health

Our health policy efforts are grounded in advancing health equity. In all that we do, we work to center the experiences and priorities of those with the most at stake—including low-income people, people of color, women, LGBTQI+ people, and people living with disabilities—in our efforts to improve health care access, reduce costs, and create healthy communities and systems that protect people from health threats. We also work in close partnership with others across the organization to advance policy changes that combat the structural barriers that prevent many people in America from equally sharing in health and prosperity.

The Health Policy department advances health coverage, health care access and affordability, public health and equity, social determinants of health, and quality and efficiency in health care payment and delivery.

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How Congress can still get health care subsidies in place for 2026 In the News

How Congress can still get health care subsidies in place for 2026

In an op-ed published by STAT, Emily urges Congress to extend the enhanced tax credits into 2026 while also outlining several other concrete actions the federal government could take to make health care more affordable.

STAT

Emily Gee

How Private Equity and the Financialization of Health Services Can Undermine Access to Sexual and Reproductive Care Report

How Private Equity and the Financialization of Health Services Can Undermine Access to Sexual and Reproductive Care

As firms increasingly invest in OB-GYN practices, fertility clinics, maternity care services, and other health care facilities, policymakers must regulate private equity activity and strengthen oversight of corporate control of health care to preserve Americans’ access to care.

Kierra B. Jones

Open Enrollment, Closed Doors Article
Capitol building reflected in a red ambulance

Open Enrollment, Closed Doors

As Affordable Care Act marketplace open enrollment for 2026 begins on November 1, Republican health policies are reducing access to affordable and comprehensive coverage for low-income Americans, young adults, and the self-employed.

Natasha Murphy

Growing Market Power Among Catholic Hospitals Restrains Access to Reproductive Health Care Report
A hospital bed sits in the birthing room of a catholic hospital.

Growing Market Power Among Catholic Hospitals Restrains Access to Reproductive Health Care

Stronger antitrust enforcement is necessary to prevent reduced access to reproductive health care, including abortion, birth control, and fertility treatments, while safeguarding market competition.

Bailey Sanders, Barak Richman, Kierra B. Jones, 2 More Andrea Ducas, Samuel Doernberg

What the Trump Administration, RFK Jr., and the MAHA Report Got Wrong About Improving Children’s Health Article
A health care provider vaccinates a toddler in the leg as the toddler and his father look on.

What the Trump Administration, RFK Jr., and the MAHA Report Got Wrong About Improving Children’s Health

The Make America Healthy Again Commission’s strategy report underscores the importance of childhood nutrition but casts doubt on proven health strategies; fails to acknowledge the Trump administration’s harm to children’s health; and distracts from effective strategies to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity and to ensure access to vaccines, food security, and clean air and water.

Jill Rosenthal, Steven Woolf

On Its 60th Anniversary, Medicaid Is Under Attack Article
Demonstrators gather in protest of Medicaid cuts outside of the U.S. Capitol.

On Its 60th Anniversary, Medicaid Is Under Attack

Historic program cuts enacted by congressional Republicans and the Trump administration threaten the health and financial security of millions of Americans.

Andrea Ducas

Plans to test prior authorization in traditional Medicare are deeply troubling In the News

Plans to test prior authorization in traditional Medicare are deeply troubling

In an op-ed published by STAT, Don Berwick and Andrea Ducas discuss a new program from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services called “WISeR” and how it would result in countless eligible seniors being denied coverage.

STAT

Donald Berwick, Andrea Ducas

10 Egregious Things You May Not Know About the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Article
Members of the House walk up the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

10 Egregious Things You May Not Know About the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

Congressional Republicans’ radical budget and tax bill includes several less-known provisions that will increase costs, fuel the Trump administration’s overreach, and waste taxpayer dollars.

Colin Seeberger, Andrea Ducas, Natasha Murphy, 9 More Kierra B. Jones, Andrés Argüello, Lily Roberts, Kyle Ross, Michael Sozan, Silva Mathema, Sara Partridge, Paige Shoemaker DeMio, Corey Husak

$1 Trillion in Medicaid Cuts—$1 Trillion in Tax Giveaways for the Richest 1 Percent: The One Big ‘Beautiful’ Bill’s Budget Math Article
A view of the U.S. Capitol during the procedural vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Washington, D.C., July 3, 2025.

$1 Trillion in Medicaid Cuts—$1 Trillion in Tax Giveaways for the Richest 1 Percent: The One Big ‘Beautiful’ Bill’s Budget Math

The congressional Republican bill will cause millions of low-income Americans to lose Medicaid coverage in order to fund tax giveaways for the top 1 percent of households.

Micah Johnson, Andrea Ducas

You Thought Medicare Was Safe? Think Again. In the News

You Thought Medicare Was Safe? Think Again.

In an op-ed published by The Contrarian, Donald Berwick explains how congressional Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill threatens to cut more than $535 billion from Medicaid over the next nine years.

The Contrarian

Donald Berwick

How To Make America Sick Article
A patient waits for radiation treatment.

How To Make America Sick

The Trump administration’s plan to “Make America Healthy Again” will make Americans’ health worse.

Donald Berwick

Trump pledged not to cut Medicare — but his budget bill does just that In the News

Trump pledged not to cut Medicare — but his budget bill does just that

In an op-ed published by MarketWatch, Andrea Ducas explains how President Donald Trump’s budget proposal is breaking his promise not to cut Medicare—with devastating consequences.

MarketWatch

Andrea Ducas

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act Would Ravage Regions Won by Donald Trump While Giving Tax Breaks to the Rich Article
The U.S. Capitol is seen at sunset.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act Would Ravage Regions Won by Donald Trump While Giving Tax Breaks to the Rich

Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and clean energy tax credits would devastate people in communities that voted for President Donald Trump.

Kierra B. Jones, Andrea Ducas, Kyle Ross, 6 More Lily Roberts, Lucero Marquez, Jamie Friedman, Colin Seeberger, Kennedy Andara, Andrés Argüello

House Republicans’ Big, ‘Beautiful’ Bill Would Make Health Care More Expensive for Americans With Medicare and Other Insurance Article
The sun sets behind the U.S. Capitol building.

House Republicans’ Big, ‘Beautiful’ Bill Would Make Health Care More Expensive for Americans With Medicare and Other Insurance

A new Center for American Progress analysis shows how House Republican health care cuts would cost many families with Medicaid, Medicare, ACA marketplace plans, and job-based coverage up to thousands of dollars per year in additional premiums, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Andrés Argüello, Andrea Ducas

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