Dear John,

Join Health Affairs Tuesday, September 24, for a virtual event examining the future of telehealth and its impact on primary care.

In a Health Policy brief released today, Paula Lantz and Emma Carter write about the role of direct democracy in state policy making as it relates to the drivers of population health and health disparities.

Direct democracy through state ballot initiatives holds potential for policy change relating to a large array of important social issues.

For ballot measures, these were the most common topics by category:

• Health Care: abortion and Medicaid
• Public Health: decriminalization of marijuana, gambling, environment exposures, and firearms
• Social Determinants of Health: criminal justice system reform, voting and political representation, education, housing, transportation, and labor policy

Although citizen-initiated ballot measures have shown advancement for population health policy in many states, there are still many challenges faced.

Check Out Prior Briefs

Pillars, Policies, And Plausible Pathways Linking Digital Inclusion And Health Equity

Amy R. Sheon and Elaine C. Khoong (May 2024)

Water Insecurity And Population Health: Implications For Health Equity And Policy

Lara J. Cushing et al. (October 2023)

The Rise And Fall Of Underemployment: Implications For Workers' Health

Lonnie Golden and Jaeseung Kim (July 2023)

Out Of Balance: Fixing Our Health System’s Neglect Of Primary Care

Christopher F. Koller et al.

The Failing Experiment Of Primary Care As A For-Profit Enterprise

Kevin Grumbach et al.