Stanford University

Public Health Policy

A photo of three doctors walking in a hospital
Public Health Policy
Stanford Health Policy researchers examine how interventions and policy affect population health. Topics include maternal and child health, infectious disease prevention and control, preventive services across many domains, how climate influences health, human trafficking, and the impact of governance and security on health.

 

Americans pay more for health care than any other nation, but few know that the system's current model reflects nearly a century of PR campaigns and competing interests. SHP’s Marcella Alsan joins host Maxwell Dorey on his podcast to examine how today's private health-care system was built through a coordinated campaign by the American Medical Association (AMA) and PR firms like Whitaker & Baxter, which transformed a voluntary, doctor-led prepayment model into the foundation of the modern industry.

 

Stanford Health Policy's Alyce Adams discusses how the social determinants of health impact chronic illnesses.

 

Stanford Health Policy's 5th annual Rosenkranz Global Health Policy Symposium: A keynote conversation with Secretary Condoleezza Rice, the Tad and Dianne Taube Director of the Hoover Institution; Jennifer Kates, senior vice president and director of the Global and Public Health Policy Program at KFF; and moderator Eran Bendavid, professor of health and of health policy at Stanford Medicine.

There’s been a bit of an earthquake over the last year, so now with the pieces that fall in front of us, the question is how they get restructured.
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
The Tad and Dianne Taube Director of the Hoover Institution and 66th U.S. secretary of state

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AI, Insurance Denials—and the Future of Health Policy


Michelle Mello, professor of law and health policy, joins The Future of Medicine for a conversation about one of the most frustrating and consequential parts of American healthcare: prior authorization.

Stanford Health Policy Forum

The Stanford Health Policy Forum is an ongoing series of discussions and presentations designed to inform public debate about major health policy issues. Events in the Forum draw on the wealth of expertise available within Stanford University and the broader Bay Area, as well as in the national and international health policy field. Watch our videos here.

Engineered Threats to Global Health

Stanford experts David Relman, MD, and Hank Greely, JD, examine the global health risks of engineered pathogens—and how to safeguard the public without stalling synthetic biology’s therapeutic promise.

Vaccines and Public Health in an Era of Distrust

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans died from the disease long after an effective vaccine was available. Meanwhile, long-banished infectious diseases like measles and whooping cough are on the rise in developed countries as vaccination rates fall. Restoring trust in vaccination and the science behind it are thus major challenges for public health. Two leading vaccine experts discuss the future of vaccines and public health in an era of widespread distrust.

The Future of Healthcare Financing

U.S. Health care spending was $5.7 trillion dollars in 2025, and regardless of the outcome of the election, managing this staggering cost will be a priority for policymakers and the public. Meanwhile, private equity is increasingly a player in health care finance, which could bring risks as well as opportunities. This policy forum brings together two leaders who have shaped health care financing debates in elected office and in academic research, respectively: CA Assemblymember Jim Wood and Professor Liran Einav of Stanford University.

It is clear that we will need more efficient ways to gather data, share data across data systems, and scale that data.
Jason Wang, MD, PhD
Professor of Health Policy and of Pediatrics