Healthcare Delivery

Governors know that improving the health of citizens is not only essential to ensuring they live productive lives, but also to controlling health care costs and balancing budgets; as a result, states are leading on a wide array of health reform initiatives.

Governors are focused on finding ways to pay for and deliver care that will lead to improved quality, better outcomes and lower costs in their states. To support these priorities, NGA provides information, research synthesis, policy analysis, technical assistance, special projects, and resources to Governors and their staff on healthcare delivery topics including: Healthcare workforce; Long-term care and older adults; Healthcare and pharmaceutical cost and coverage; Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma informed care; Health equity. NGA also provides special opportunities for states to engage in more in-depth technical assistance such as through policy academies, learning collaboratives, workshops, and roundtables on these topics.

Services Available

  • Strategic planning facilitation and best practice guidance on healthcare delivery topics or initiatives
  • Strategic guidance, feedback and meeting facilitation support to Governor-appointed healthcare workforce, health equity, trauma, and insurance boards or commissions
  • Annual HHS Advisors Institute for state leaders on emerging healthcare delivery issues
  • Regular communications and briefings to health policy advisors on healthcare delivery topics
  • Customized research briefs and best practice presentations upon request

Program Contact:

Focus Areas

Featured Projects

Next Generation of the Healthcare Workforce Project Year 3 – Policy Academy and Knowledge Exchange Network

NGA launched the Next Generation of the Healthcare Workforce project in 2022 with support from HRSA. The project supports Governors’ offices and other senior state officials in implementing strategies to strengthen and grow the next generation of the healthcare workforce. Year three of this project will focus on a policy academy and learning network to lay the foundation for new initiatives, funding opportunities, or administrative policies for improving healthcare workforce.

Health Equity Learning Network

In 2023, the NGA Center convened states to discuss approaches and communication strategies regarding health equity. In 2024, the NGA Center will facilitate a learning network of states and territories interested in advancing their health equity goals.

Healthcare Delivery Library

Improving Birth Outcomes in Medicaid

Improving Birth Outcomes in Medicaid

Women who begin their pregnancies in poor health are more likely to have negative birth outcomes than healthy women, according to a paper released by the National Governors Association. Improving ...
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Effect of Provider Payment Reforms on Maternal and Child Health Services

States are actively pursuing reforms to enhance the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care services provided to pregnant women and children, according to a report released by the National Governors ...
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The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Meeting Increasing Demand for Primary Care

One way states could increase access to primary care for their residents is to consider easing their scope of practice restrictions and modifying their reimbursement policies to increase the role ...
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Strategies for Curbing Health Insurance Costs for State Employees: Benefit Design, Wellness Programs and Data Mining

With continued strains on state budgets, governors are finding innovative ways to do more with less across state government. Included in those budget strains are the rising health care costs ...
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Six Strategies for Reducing Prescription Drug Abuse

The abuse of prescription drugs is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States, and is the most common type of drug abuse after marijuana use among teens between ...
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Strategies for States to Encourage and Fund Community Care Teams

Strategies for States to Encourage and Fund Community Care Teams outlines the role that community care teams can play in improving the quality and value of health care provided by ...
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State Perspectives on Insurance Exchanges: Implementing Health Reform in an Uncertain Environment

The three major components of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) — insurance reform, Medicaid expansions, and the establishment of health insurance exchanges — are primarily ...
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State Health Insurance Exchanges and Children’s Coverage: Issues for State Design Decisions

As states consider implementation options under the Affordable Care Act, they face a series of critical decisions that will affect the design of insurance exchanges. Many of those decisions have ...
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Sustaining State Health Information Exchange: A State Toolkit

Many tools have been proposed to correct the ills of the health care system, but there is likely no single solution. The electronic exchange of health information is integral to ...
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