What do school meals, housing, paid leave, and pre-K have to do with public health? According to Trust for America’s Health: everything. In this episode, Breanca Merritt, Director of Policy at Trust for America’s Health, breaks down a new report titled Promoting Health and Cost Control in States (PHACS), which tracks how states are adopting 13 evidence-based policies that improve health, reduce long-term costs, and deliver a return on investment, many of them outside traditional healthcare. But this isn’t happening in easy conditions. With federal funding shifts, post–public health emergency rollbacks, workforce strain, and growing political pressure, states are being asked to do more with less. The report serves as both a reality check and a playbook, highlighting strategies that are working across very different political and fiscal environments. The takeaway: even in a tough moment, there are practical, evidence-based ways to move policies that improve health and strengthen communities, if sectors work together.

1068: Health Beyond Healthcare: How States Are Advancing Smart Policies in Tough Times