Health Policy Think Tanks

Alliance for Health Policy

The Alliance is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that believes that all in the U.S. should have health coverage at a reasonable cost. The Alliance maintains a robust archive arranged by topics, and with multiple resources from videos of briefings to research studies to succinct issue briefs.

Center for Health Policy at Brookings

The Center provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, and affordable health care by conducting research, developing policy recommendations, and providing technical expertise to test and evaluate innovative health care strategies.

Center for American Progress – Health Care

An independent, nonpartisan policy institute providing informed analysis on major ideas that shape the national policy debate, e.g., health care, education, poverty.

Economic Policy Institute (EPI)

EPI’s Health Policy analyzes the U.S. health care system through the lens of low- and moderate income families’ living standards, with special attention to employer-sponsored health insurance, the burden of health costs, and disparities in access and outcomes.

Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action

A joint initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the campaign works in every state to mobilize nurses, health providers, consumers, educators, and businesses to strengthen nursing on multiple fronts. NACNS is a member of the Champion Nursing Council, which comprises the country’s leading nursing organizations, and provides invaluable connections, assistance, and advice to the Campaign for Action.

Health Affairs Policy Briefs

Health Affairs publishes monthly to explore health policy issues of current concern in domestic and international spheres. Its mission is to serve as a high-level, nonpartisan forum to promote analysis and discussion on improving health and health care, and to address such issues as cost, quality, and access.

Health and Medicine Division (HMD)

HMD (formerly the Institute of Medicine) is a division of the non-governmental organization chartered as the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. HMD provides independent guidance and analysis on health and science policy. HMD also convenes a series of forums, roundtables, and standing committees, as well as other activities, to facilitate discussion, discovery, and critical, cross-disciplinary thinking.

Kaiser Family Foundation

KFF is a nonprofit foundation focusing on the major health care issues facing the U.S. KFF develops and runs its own research and communications programs. Kaiser serves as a lead nonpartisan source of facts, information, and analysis for policymakers, the media, the health care community, and the public.

National Quality Forum (NQF)

NQF is a membership-based, nonprofit organization created to develop and implement a national strategy for health care quality measurement and reporting on patient outcomes, workforce productivity – including nursing quality – and health care costs.

The Commonwealth Fund

The Fund is a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency. The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research.

The Joint Commission (TJC)

This nonprofit organization accredits and certifies health care organizations and programs in the U.S., and provides information on safety and quality of care, and research to develop evidence-based and meaningful performance measures that underpin its public policy initiatives.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)

Working to build a national Culture of Health, RWJF, a philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all, creates leverage by building evidence and producing, synthesizing, and distributing knowledge, new ideas, and expertise in various health areas, including nurses and nursing.

Advocacy Resources