Fall 2026 Health Policy Intern

CTR BUDGET POLICY • Washington, DC

1d • $18 - $22 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a high-caliber strategic policy institute that informs and shapes public policies to reduce poverty, promote equity, and build opportunity. It has a national reputation for conducting rigorous research and analysis, developing evidence-based policy ideas and strategies, shaping a broad array of policy debates at the federal and state levels, and influencing policy outcomes on a range of critical issues. It focuses on improving the lives of people with low or moderate incomes and examines how policies affect particular groups, including Black, Indigenous, and other people of color; immigrants; people with disabilities; and LGBTQ+ people. CBPP is known for its unique capacity to blend rigorous, timely analysis with effective communications that enable policymakers and the media to make use of its work. The Health Policy team is actively involved in policy discussions related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other health care issues that affect low- and moderate-income families. The Health Policy Intern assists in all aspects of this process, including research, qualitative and quantitative analysis, data collection and management, and strategic problem solving, with the goal of understanding how various administrative policies and legislative proposals affect families and federal and state budgets.

Requirements

• Demonstrated interest in health care policy and general familiarity with the ACA, Medicaid, and CHIP.
• Basic quantitative and analytic skills and the ability to synthesize large amounts of data.
• Understanding of and appreciation for CBPP’s mission and an interest in improving health care for low-income families and individuals.
• Basic familiarity with U.S. health insurance infrastructure.
• Current undergraduate students, graduate/PhD students, or recent graduates.
• Coursework in health care policy, social statistics, or research methods.
• Must have documentation of work authorization for the U.S. AND a U.S. Social Security number, as of the start date of the internship, to be employed by CBPP.

Nice To Haves

• Experience translating policy into public products through writing or graphics work preferred.
• Commitment to CBPP’s mission to improve the well-being of low- and moderate-income people and advance racial equity.
• Highly motivated candidates — particularly those with experience with communities that are underrepresented in policy debates — with a demonstrated interest in working on public policies that affect low-income and diverse communities and have implications for racial equity.

Responsibilities

• Assists in research, qualitative and quantitative analysis, data collection and management, and strategic problem solving.
• Focuses on understanding how various administrative policies and legislative proposals affect families and federal and state budgets.

Benefits

• Undergraduate students receive $18.00 per hour.
• Students with a bachelor's degree receive $19.00 per hour.
• Graduate students receive $20.00 per hour.
• Students with a master’s or law degree receive $21.00 per hour.
• Doctoral students may receive between $20.00 and $22.00 per hour, depending on progress toward completion of degree requirements, relevant coursework, and research.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Associate degree