Program Goals

The Commonwealth Fund’s Program on Federal and State Health Policy is designed to strengthen the link between the work of the foundation, including the Commission on a High Performance Health System, and policy processes at the federal and state levels. As a key component of the Fund’s efforts around health reform, the program focuses on the identification, development, evaluation, and spread of policies that expand access to affordable, high-quality, and efficient care—particularly for vulnerable populations—while reducing health spending growth. Specific activities include:

• convening federal and state policymakers, in both the executive and legislative branches of government, to discuss key health policy issues and to help identify policy solutions; 
• producing written materials on timely issues relevant to federal and state policymakers and their staff, with particular emphasis on implementation of the Affordable Care Act; 
• facilitating information exchange between federal and state policymakers, both to inform federal leaders of innovations in state health policy that have implications for national health reform.implementation and to inform state leaders about federal policies affecting the development of state health reform strategies; and
• fostering dialogue among policymakers, national stakeholders, and the research community on key health policy issues.

The program is led by Vice President Rachel Nuzum, M.P.H.

Recent Projects

Bipartisan Congressional Health Policy Conference for Members of Congress
A select group of members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are invited each year to meet in an informal, off-the-record setting with leading health policy experts and health care practitioners from a variety of backgrounds. The Bipartisan Congressional Health Policy Conference gives members of Congress the opportunity to learn about timely health policy issues and engage in substantive discussion, all in an environment free from partisan politics and media pressures. In addition to serving as an opportunity to reach one of the Fund’s most influential audiences, it also helps build working relationships with members who can advance the Fund’s mission to achieve a high performance health system. Seventy-nine House and Senate members have attended the retreat since 1998, with strong bipartisan representation.

Health Reform Briefings and Roundtables
The health policy briefings and roundtables conducted jointly by the Alliance for Health Reform and The Commonwealth Fund are a valuable resource for congressional and agency staff, representatives of national organizations, the media, and other key stakeholders looking to stay abreast of the latest developments in health care policy. The briefings, held on Capitol Hill and open to the public, focus on timely health policy topics under discussion at the federal and state levels.

Dialogues for Congressional and Administration Staff
A series of off-the-record, invitation-only discussions provides a forum for senior congressional and administration staff to engage in dialogue with their peers and receive technical assistance from outside experts on key national health policy issues. In 2011, federal officials together with state experts and congressional staff discussed topics related to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, such as the establishment of Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans and the formation of accountable care organizations.

Bipartisan Health Policy Retreat for Senior Congressional Staff
At this annual conference, invited senior congressional staff and senior staff from congressional support agencies meet in an informal setting with leading academics and health care practitioners to learn about pertinent health policy issues, engage in open and off-the-record debate, and discover opportunities for bipartisan collaboration.

Supporting Medicaid Directors During Health Reform Implementation
This project supports a series of conference calls related to Medicaid-specific health reform implementation challenges and opportunities. Held in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies and the National Association of Medicaid Directors, the calls are focused on areas of most interest to both state and federal policymakers. The calls provide education, guidance, and a forum to exchange experiences and lessons learned on key implementation issues.

All-Payer Claims Databases: Resources for States
States need to have comprehensive information on disease incidence, treatment costs, and medical outcomes when formulating and evaluating health care policies. Because such information is often not readily available, a growing number of states are developing all-payer claims databases (APCDs), which combine data from public programs like Medicaid and Medicare, as well as from private insurance carriers and pharmacy benefit managers, to give policymakers statewide information on costs, quality, utilization, and access to care.

With Commonwealth Fund support, the National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) tracked the current status of state-based APCDs and provided technical guidance to state officials interested in developing APCDs. In the Fund issue brief, All-Payer Claims Databases: State Initiatives to Improve Health Care Transparency, NAHDO executive director Denise Love and colleagues showed how these databases are proving to be powerful tools for filling in long-standing gaps in health care information and providing essential trend data that will be needed to guide policymakers through the transitions that health reform will bring.

Future Directions

In the coming year, the Federal and State Health Policy Program will continue to examine the intersection of federal and state health policy in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and in efforts to improve health care delivery in the United States. Program staff will furnish guidance and technical assistance to federal and state policymakers and congressional and administrative staff engaged in the law’s implementation and in delivery and payment system reform. In addition, program staff will also inform federal and state policymakers about recent Commonwealth Fund research and analysis, policy recommendations from the Fund’s Commission on a High Performance Health System, and case studies of innovative policies and programs around the country.

The Federal and State Health Policy Program makes a limited number of small grants each year. To apply for a grant, visit the Applicant and Grantee Resources page.