For everyone in America to have the chance to live as healthy a life as possible, we need public policies that not only maximize access to affordable, quality healthcare, but also work to elevate communities and dismantle systemic barriers to wellbeing.

In the nation’s capital and at the state and local level, we use our knowledge and the expertise of our partners to provide policymakers and others with analysis, evidence, and potential approaches. We fund research, provide resources like nonpartisan analyses, participate in convenings, coalitions, and briefings to achieve health equity faster and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. 

Promoting Policy Tools That Advance Health and Racial Equity

RWJF is committed to promoting and protecting inclusive policymaking and ballot measure access, two democratic tools that are critical to achieving a world where health is not a privilege for some but a right for all. 

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Policy Brief Library

Across our work, we leverage decades of research to assist policymakers in efforts to safeguard and improve health in the communities they serve. We support the translation of nonpartisan research and evidence into health policy briefs. These briefs strive to explain key policy issues in a concise, easily digestible format.

Brief
Percent Decline in Total Health Care Spending if All States Drop ACA Medicaid Expansion, by State graphic.

Hospital Revenue Losses And Increased Uncompensated Care If Medicaid Funding Is Cut

Cutting federal Medicaid funding provided to states that expanded their Medicaid program under the ACA could lead to substantial losses in revenue for healthcare providers and spikes in uncompensated care.

1-min read

Healthcare Coverage and Access Policy and Law
Brief
A nurse takes the blood pressure of a woman at a table.

Imposing Per Capita Medicaid Caps and Reducing the Affordable Care Act's Enhanced Match

Capping federal government support, along with eliminating the enhanced federal matching rate, would shift hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare costs to states.

1-min read

Healthcare Coverage and Access Policy and Law
Brief
Man calculating finances.

Marketplace Pulse: Congressional Districts Where Affordable Care Act Enrollees Face the Highest Prem...

If Congress fails to extend the enhanced premium tax credits for ACA marketplace enrollees, residents in high-cost states could pay more than others in America in 2026.

4-min read

Healthcare Coverage and Access Policy and Law
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From the Blog

Child in forefront of Capitol building.

How We Are Shaping Federal Policy to Drive Health Equity

Through the public comment process, we are working to ensure that our laws and policies give everyone fair and just opportunity to reach their best health and wellbeing.

6-min read

Healthcare Coverage and Access Policy and Law Gender Equality
Preemption and Laws illustrations.

How to Counter Preemption Laws That Can Undermine Health Equity

While special interests in many states attempt to block progress toward health equity, local communities are shaping solutions to give everyone a fair and just opportunity for health.

5-min read

Health Disparities Policy and Law Structural Racism

Policies for Action

Policies for Action (P4A) is a signature research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation administered through the national coordinating center at the Urban Institute. This program funds research that identifies policies, laws, and other regulatory tools that can be leveraged to help achieve health and racial equity.

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Latest Regulatory Comments

When given the opportunity to publicly comment on proposed policies and regulations that coincide with our focus areas, RWJF provides data and evidence to decisionmakers.

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Contact Us

RWJF Policy department staff:

Avenel Joseph
Vice President, Policy
ajoseph@rwjf.org
(609) 627-6235

Katherine Hempstead
Senior Policy Adviser
khempstead@rwjf.org
(609) 627-6396

Elizabeth DiLauro
Senior Policy Officer
edilauro@rwjf.org
(609) 627-7518

Giridhar Mallya
Senior Policy Officer
gmallya@rwjf.org
(609) 627-6476

Alyson Northrup
Senior Policy Officer
anorthrup@rwjf.org
(609) 627-7643

Starla Stiles
Communications Officer, Policy
sstiles@rwjf.org
(609) 627-6003

Aaron Carpenter
Policy Associate
acarpenter@rwjf.org
(609) 627-6230