Commission to Envision a National Public Health System

This project will establish the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a National Public Health System, which will enlist five to seven nationally recognized thought leaders and experts in public health to develop a vision for a national public health system. Over 90 days, the Commission and project team will review evidence, engage stakeholders, develop recommendations, and build a consensus report that outlines a concise vision for a national public health system, to include: specific responsibilities of federal agencies in a national public health system, and additional authority required for these agencies and the federal government as a whole; specific capacities required of states, territories, tribes, and localities in a national public health system, with options for realizing these capacities; the role of health care, including health care data and relevant private sector actors, in a national public health system; recommendations for how federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and other sources can support a national public health system; and discussion of additional legal authority that may be needed to fully achieve this vision.