A new report from Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), Advancing Policies that Create Conditions for Good Health: Opportunities, Barriers, and Strengths, finds that federal actions that cut funding and lead to program eliminations throughout government will slow the implementation of state-level policies that promote health. These program changes, according to the report, will create gaps that states and cross-sector partnerships could help address through support for collaboration and innovation.

The report is the newest in TFAH’s Promoting Health and Cost Control in States (PHACCS) report series highlighting evidence-based policies and programs states can pursue to improve residents’ health and reduce healthcare spending. Population-level health is influenced by a variety of social and economic factors, such as housing access, food affordability, the built environment, and workplace policies. The PHACCS Initiative, launched in 2018, identifies evidence-based policies that states can implement to promote residents’ health and create economic return on investment.

This new report considers these policies in the current legislative landscape, based on input from advocates, service providers, and government staff across different jurisdictions and policy areas. It analyzes how the changed legislative environment is impeding policy action and what new innovations and cross-sector collaborations are needed to create or protect policy momentum.

The report is organized into three sections which encourage states and cross-sector partners to continue their work promoting good health in every community by sharing information, evidence, and innovative strategies.

Communities working to become more age- and dementia friendly are often collaborating across sectors and may find the report informative and helpful in creating and implementing action plans.