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Strengthening Health

We work to strengthen public health systems and improve health care coverage, access, and affordability.

A pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic is seen in California. (Getty/Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
What We're Working On

What We're Doing

Strengthening public health systems

The COVID-19 pandemic and increasing intensity of extreme weather conditions and natural disasters have exposed the many inequities and weaknesses in the United States’ public health infrastructure. We focus on improving health equity by investing in public health; addressing the social, economic, and environmental factors that affect health; and preparing for and mitigating future health threats.

Improving access to affordable health coverage

We’re dedicated to bolstering access to affordable, high-quality health coverage options. By building on the Affordable Care Act, closing the Medicaid coverage gap, strengthening the Medicare program, and innovating other progressive health care solutions, we envision a world in which everyone can access high-value care.

Lowering health care prices and consumer costs

Health care affordability is a top consumer concern, and out-of-pocket costs for health care and prescription drugs are inaccessibly high for many. One of our key priorities is improving America’s health by protecting consumers and lowering costs to ensure that all people can afford to manage their health. We also work to combat the upstream drivers of high health care costs and prices, including excessive levels of consolidation and anticompetitive health care practices.

 

Increasing vaccination rates to prevent death and disease

Vaccination is key to avoiding preventable illness, death, and economic loss. We promote policies to ensure a robust vaccine supply, to provide people with no-cost access to vaccines, and to combat vaccine misinformation and disinformation.

By the Numbers

41%

About 4 in 10 adults report having debt due to medical or dental bills.

KFF, “Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs” (2024).

Source

$1B each summer

The health care costs from hospital admissions and emergency department visits due to extreme heat days.

CAP, “The Health Care Costs of Extreme Heat” (2023).

The Health Care Costs of Extreme Heat

$1.3T

Without reform, Medicare is at risk of overpaying Medicare Advantage plans between $1.3 trillion and $2 trillion over the next decade.

CAP, “Ending Overpayment in Medicare Advantage” (2024).

A man reads literature on Medicare at an event sponsored by MetroPlus in New York City.
Ending Overpayment in Medicare Advantage

1 in 3

The proportion of community health center sites that are located in areas of high relative climate vulnerability.

CAP, “Climate-Resilient Health Care Promotes Public Health, Equity, and Climate Justice” (2024).

Climate-Resilient Health Care Promotes Public Health, Equity, and Climate Justice

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About Extreme Heat, We Need to Prioritize Children In the News

About Extreme Heat, We Need to Prioritize Children

In an op-ed published by InsideSources, Hailey Gibbs highlights proven strategies that communities and policymakers can adopt to better mitigate the deadly effects of climate change for young children and infants.

InsideSources

Hailey Gibbs

$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

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

New CBO Estimates Confirm Massive Rise in Uncompensated Care Costs Under One Big Beautiful Bill Act Article
A patient has their blood pressure checked at a medical clinic in Grundy, Virginia.

New CBO Estimates Confirm Massive Rise in Uncompensated Care Costs Under One Big Beautiful Bill Act

New projections from the Congressional Budget Office indicate the House-passed tax and budget bill would lead to 16 million people becoming uninsured, resulting in hospitals and other health care providers shouldering an estimated $36 billion in additional uncompensated care costs by 2034.

Andrés Argüello, Andrea Ducas

The Big, ‘Beautiful’ Bill’s Health Care Cuts Would Drive Up Uncompensated Care and Threaten Vulnerable Hospitals Article
Staff members remove a sign following a press conference after House passage of the tax and spending bill.

The Big, ‘Beautiful’ Bill’s Health Care Cuts Would Drive Up Uncompensated Care and Threaten Vulnerable Hospitals

House Republicans’ proposals would lead to 14 million people becoming uninsured, forcing hospitals and other health care providers to foot the bill of $31 billion in additional uncompensated care costs by 2034.

Andrés Argüello, Andrea Ducas

The Devastating Harms of House Republicans’ Big, ‘Beautiful’ Bill by State and Congressional District Article
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) arrives to a House Rules Committee meeting on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act at the U.S. Capitol.

The Devastating Harms of House Republicans’ Big, ‘Beautiful’ Bill by State and Congressional District

Estimates for the increase in number of uninsured people by 2034; how many people could lose some or all SNAP benefits; and the number of jobs at risk due to elimination of clean energy tax credits under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.

Colin Seeberger, Andrea Ducas, Lily Roberts, 3 More Shannon Baker-Branstetter, Kennedy Andara, Kyle Ross

States Must Lead the Way To Protect Workers From Extreme Heat Article
A traffic warden holding up a stop sign with the sun shining behind him

States Must Lead the Way To Protect Workers From Extreme Heat

In the absence of federal action to protect workers from the rising dangers of exposure to extreme heat on the job, states must take the lead—and can look to existing and proposed standards from other localities for guidance.

Jill Rosenthal, Reema Bzeih

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