The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is partnering with purchasers, payers, and providers to spur the adoption of evidence-based prevention that will improve health and control costs. In this critical time of active health system transformation, CDC is helping to accelerate evidence into action to improve the health of all Americans. With the 6|18 initiative, CDC identified six common and costly health conditions—tobacco use, high blood pressure, healthcare-associated infections, asthma, unintended pregnancies, and diabetes—and 18 proven specific interventions that formed the starting point of discussions with purchasers, payers, and providers. We are linking the health care and public health sectors by providing evidence across a spectrum of prevention interventions, from clinical to community prevention.

CDC’s strength in identifying and analyzing scientific evidence complements the purchaser, payer, and provider role of financing and delivering care. Realizing the potential of this initiative will require new skills and understanding for CDC and public health workers and a new approach to partnering with the health care sector to lay the foundation for a stronger, more collaborative relationship.

This Web Forum will provide a general overview of CDC’s 6|18 Initiative, CDC’s framework for public health – health care collaboration, and successes-to-date from CDC and Medicaid’s perspective in implementing a select number of the targeted interventions.