Our Health Policy Matters

Implementing health reform in the states is a governmental responsibility.   But Kaiser Health News reported this week that states are turning to foundations to help them with the costs of implementing these reforms.   Financing governmental duties has not traditionally been the role of a foundation.   Governmental programs should be implemented efficiently, but asking foundations to pay for this implementation is drawing dollars away from the most important work of foundations. This important work involves investing resources in promising initiatives that aren’t yet “government ready.”   Foundations are uniquely equipped to provide seed funding to experimental and innovative programs before they are ready for governmental action. On the other hand, funding governmental obligations leads to two unintended consequences.   First, it relieves governments of their obligation to justify to the public the expenditures they need to make to implement their prog...

Implementing health reform in the states is a governmental responsibility.   But Kaiser Health News reported this week that states are turning to foundations to help them with the costs of implementing these reforms.   Financing governmental duties has not traditionally been the role of a foundation.   Governmental programs should be implemented efficiently, but asking foundations to pay for this implementation is drawing dollars away from the most important work of foundations. This important work involves investing resources in promising initiatives that aren’t yet “government ready.”   Foundations are uniquely equipped to provide seed funding to experimental and innovative programs before they are ready for governmental action. On the other hand, funding governmental obligations leads to two unintended consequences.   First, it relieves governments of their obligation to justify to the public the expenditures they need to make to implement their prog...