PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

+How do Mass Shootings Affect Community Wellbeing? (with Erdal Tekin)

Over the past four decades, mass shootings have caused at least 1,000 deaths and 1,500 injuries in the US, but little is known about how these tragedies influence people beyond those directly affected. This study uses nationally representative data from the Gallup-Healthways survey to assess spillover effects of mass shootings on individuals’ community and emotional wellbeing. Leveraging differences in the timing of mass shootings across counties between 2008-2016, we find that these incidents reduce community and emotional wellbeing for at least three months post-shooting. Mass shootings have high societal costs and create adverse effects that extend beyond those immediately exposed.

Press coverage: Associated Press, US News & World Report, ABC News, The Detroit News, Denver Post, Newsweek, LA Times

Paper: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.1220-11385R1

+Association Between State Medicaid Expansion Status and Health Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic (with Alexandra Rakus, Health Services Research)

Objective: To assess post-COVID-19 changes in insurance coverage, health behaviors, and self-assessed health among low-income, non-elderly adults by state Medicaid expansion status. Data Sources: We used nationally representative survey data from the 2016 through 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The sample was restricted to adults aged 19–64 with household income below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (N = 179,135). Study Design: We examined a broad set of outcomes related to coverage, health behaviors, and self-assessed health available in the BRFSS. We used a difference-in-differences model to compare changes in outcomes for individuals living in the 35 states and DC that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to those in the 15 non-expansion states before and after the COVID-19 pandemic commenced in March 2020. Principal Findings: We found that the expansions provided some protection for low-income people during the pandemic. In 2020, relative to earlier years, people in expansion states were more likely to report very good or excellent health (0.049 percentage points, 95%CI = 0.022, 0.076; p < 0.01) and physical health (−0.393 days of poor physical health in the past month, 95%CI = −0.714, −0.072; p < 0.05), lower rates of smoking (−1.9 percentage points, 95%CI = −0.041, 0.004; p < 0.10) and heavy drinking (−1.4 percentage points, 95%CI = −0.025, −0.004; p < 0.01), and higher flu vaccination rates (2.8 percentage points, 95%CI = 0.005, 0.051; p < 0.05) than those in non-expansion states. These benefits were particularly salient for Black and Hispanic individuals. We found no significant differences in insurance coverage, exercise, obesity, and self-assessed mental health between expansion and non-expansion states for the overall low-income sample. However, the expansion was associated with greater insurance coverage for Hispanic adults during the pandemic. Conclusions: Investments in public health through expanding Medicaid may shield low-income populations from some of the health ramifications of public health emergencies.

Paper: https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.14044

+Association between state unemployment rate and inpatient hospitalizations for tobacco use disorder (with Elizabeth Wahlenmayer, Tobacco Prevention and Cessation)

Cigarette consumption increases during recessions1-4, but the downstream impact of unemployment on smoking-related health outcomes is less explored. This study examines the relationship between local unemployment rates and hospitalizations for tobacco use disorder (TUD).

Paper: https://doi.org/10.18332/tpc/149482

+The Impact of the Repeal of the Federal Individual Insurance Mandate on Uninsurance (International Journal of Health Economics and Management)

The federal individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act, which required people to pay a tax penalty if they did not have health insurance, was repealed in 2019. However, some states implemented state-level insurance mandates which essentially replaced the federal mandate. I use nationally representative survey data from the 2015–19 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey to compare the probability of becoming newly uninsured among people living in states without state-level insurance mandates versus states with a mandate, before and after the 2019 repeal. In a sample of 214,821 lower-income, nonelderly adults, the repeal of the federal mandate was associated with a 0.5% point, or 24%, increase in the year-over-year probability of becoming newly uninsured. These results suggest that people respond to financial incentives when making insurance enrollment decisions. In the absence of a federal mandate, state-level mandates may reduce transitions to uninsurance.

Paper: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10754-022-09324-x

+The Effects of Medicaid Expansion on Home Production and Child Care (with Taryn Morrissey, Southern Economic Journal)

Public health insurance programs like Medicaid provide in-kind resources that may improve health and reduce stress, altering time use patterns. Our study examines the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)-facilitated Medicaid expansions on time spent on home production and childcare. Using time-diary data, we estimated difference-in-differences models comparing the time use patterns of individuals in states that expanded Medicaid versus non-expansion states, before and after implementation. Medicaid expansion increased the amount of time low-income adults spent on home production by 12 min per day (p < .05), equivalent to a 9.5% increase. This was driven by increased time spent on food preparation and housework. Medicaid expansion also increased time spent on childcare among low-income parents by 6.6 min per day (p < .10) or 7.7%. Expanding public health insurance eligibility for low-income populations may increase time spent on home production and childcare, which are associated with significant health benefits for children and adults.

Paper: https://doi.org/10.1002/soej.12554

+Changes in Early- and Late-Stage Cancer Diagnosis Under Three Years of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion (with Lauren Lin, Lindsay Sabik, and Coleman Drake, American Journal of Preventive Medicine)

Introduction: Health insurance expansions may increase early detection of cancer and reduce late-stage cancer incidence. The study assesses the effects of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions on rates of early- and late-stage cancer diagnosis up to 3 years after implementation. Methods: Population-based quasi-experimental analysis of nonelderly adults was conducted in 732 counties from the 2010–2016 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program cancer registry data. Multivariate event study regressions were estimated to compare annual changes in county-level rates of cancer diagnoses in states that expanded Medicaid with those that did not. Data analysis was performed from May to October 2019. Results: Medicaid expansion was associated with an increase in early-stage cancer diagnoses of 21.3 per 100,000 population (95% CI=2.9, 35.2) or 9.14% of population in its first year; estimates for Years 2 and 3 were also positive but smaller and not statistically significant. There was a marginally significant reduction in late-stage diagnoses of 8.7 per 100,000 population (95% CI= −25.0, 3.4) or 5.7% of population relative to baseline, 3 years after Medicaid expansion. There was no detectable effect of expansion on total diagnoses. Conclusions: Medicaid expansions increased early-stage cancer diagnosis in the first year of expansion, but effects dissipated in subsequent years, suggesting a response to pent-up patient demand for screening and diagnostic services immediately after expansion. There was also suggestive evidence of reductions in late-stage diagnosis in the third year of Medicaid expansion, highlighting the potential role of public health insurance in improving cancer outcomes among nonelderly adults.

Press Coverage: Drugs.com, IBTimes Singapore, American University

Paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.020

+Levels of Employment and Community Engagement among Low-Income Adults: Implications for Medicaid Work Requirements (with Cong Gian, Kosali Simon, and Benjamin Sommers, Journal of Health Politics, Policy, & Law)

Context: Twenty states are pursuing community engagement requirements (“work requirements”) in Medicaid, though legal challenges are ongoing. While most non-disabled low-income individuals work, it is less clear how many engage in the required number of hours of qualifying community engagement activities, and what heterogeneity may exist by race/ethnicity, age, and gender. Our objective was to estimate current levels of employment and other community engagement activities among potential Medicaid beneficiaries. Methods: We analyzed the US Census Bureau’s national time-use survey data covering the years 2015 through 2018. Our main sample consisted of non-disabled adults between 19 and 64 years, with family incomes less than 138% of the federal poverty level (N=2,551). Findings: Nationally, low-income adults who might become subject to Medicaid work requirements already spent an average of 30 hours per week on community engagement activities. However, 22% of the low-income population – particularly women, older adults, and those with less education – would not currently satisfy a 20-hour-per week requirement. Conclusions: Although the majority of potential Medicaid beneficiaries already meet community engagement requirements or are exempt, 22% would not currently satisfy a 20-hour-per week requirement and could therefore be at risk for losing coverage.

Paper: https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-8641567

+The Effects of Public Health Insurance on Health Behaviors: Evidence from the Fifth Year of Medicaid Expansion (Health Economics)

This study examines the longer term relationship between public health insurance expansions and health behaviors. I leverage geographic and temporal variation in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act‐facilitated Medicaid expansions and provide the first estimates of the expansions' behavioral impacts during their first 5 years. Using national survey data from the 2010 to 2018 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System and a difference‐in‐differences regression design, I show that the Medicaid expansions increase utilization of certain forms of preventive care, while reducing heavy drinking. I also find suggestive evidence that the expansions reduce smoking and increase the probability of exercise. These results stand in contrast with earlier studies that used only 2 or 3 years of postexpansion data and found no detectable effect of the Medicaid expansions on health behaviors in the short run. My results, combined with evidence from previous studies, suggest that public insurance expansions may not prompt an immediate change in health behaviors, but newly eligible populations do increase investments in healthy behaviors over time. In the long run, Medicaid expansions may help reduce engagement in risky behaviors like drinking and smoking among low‐income people.

Paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hec.4155

+ Association Between Medicaid Expansions and Rates of Opioid-Related Hospital Use (with Hefei Wen, Alex Hollingsworth, Seth Freedman, Joseph Benitez, Kosali Simon, and Brendan Saloner, JAMA Internal Medicine)

Importance: The rate of opioid-related emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient hospitalizations has increased rapidly in recent years. Medicaid expansions have the potential to reduce overall opioid-related hospital events by improving access to outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder. Objective: To examine the association between Medicaid expansions and rates of opioid-related ED visits and inpatient hospitalizations. Design, Setting, and Participants: A difference-in-differences observational design was used to compare changes in opioid-related hospital events in US nonfederal, nonrehabilitation hospitals in states that implemented Medicaid expansions between the first quarter of 2005 and the last quarter of 2017 with changes in nonexpansion states. All-payer ED and hospital discharges from 45 states in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project FastStats were included. Exposures: State implementation of Medicaid expansions between 2005 and 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Rates of all opioid-related ED visits and inpatient hospitalizations, measured as the quarterly numbers of treat-and-release ED discharges and hospital discharges related to opioid abuse, dependence, and overdose, per 100 000 state population. Results: In the 46 states and District of Columbia included in the study, 1524 observations of emergency department data and 2219 observations of opioid-related inpatient hospitalizations were analyzed. The post-2014 Medicaid expansions were associated with a 9.74% (95% CI, −18.83% to −0.65%) reduction in the rate of opioid-related inpatient hospitalizations. There appeared to be no association between the pre-2014 or post-2014 Medicaid expansions and the rate of opioid-related ED visits (post-2014 Medicaid expansions, −3.98%; 95% CI, −14.69% to 6.72%; and pre-2014 Medicaid expansions, 1.02%; 95% CI, −5.25% to 7.28%). Conclusions and Relevance: Medicaid expansion appears to be associated with meaningful reductions in opioid-related hospital use, possibly attributable to improved care for opioid use disorder in other settings.

Press Coverage: Kaiser Health News, MedicalResearch, EurekAlert, Open Minds, 7th Space, Science Codex, American University

Paper: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2763182

+ How Have ACA Insurance Expansions Affected Health Outcomes? Findings From The Literature (with Laura Wherry and Kosali Simon, Health Affairs)

A growing body of literature examining the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on nonelderly adults provides promising evidence of improvements in health outcomes through insurance expansions. Our review of forty-three studies that employed a quasi-experimental research design found encouraging evidence of improvements in health status, chronic disease, maternal and neonatal health, and mortality, with some findings corroborated by multiple studies. Some studies further suggested that the beneficial effects have grown over time and thus may continue to grow if the ACA insurance expansions remain in force. However, not all studies reported a significant positive relationship between ACA provisions that expanded insurance coverage and health status. We highlight the challenges facing researchers, including the importance of nonmedical factors in determining individual health and the use of outcome data predominantly drawn from self-reports. In closing, we identify opportunities to enhance researchers’ understanding of the relationship between the ACA insurance expansions and health outcomes using new data sources, including electronic health records.

Press Coverage: American University

Paper: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01436

+ How have recent health insurance expansions affected coverage among artist occupations in the USA? (with Joanna Woroncowicz, Seth Freedman, and Kosali Simon, Journal of Cultural Economics)

Most US workers receive their health insurance through employers due to its favorable tax treatment, improved bargaining power, and reduced adverse selection concerns. This institutional structure, however, favors large employers and full-time workers; thus, not all segments of the workforce enjoy the benefits of this system. Artists are especially disadvantaged relative to other sectors in the employment-based health insurance system as they tend to be self-employed workers and/or work on contractual bases. Theory suggests that the Affordable Care Act (ACA), by expanding options for health insurance to those without offers from employers, should represent an improvement, particularly for occupations that favor independent work, such as artists. We use large-scale survey data that identifies occupations and contains sufficient numbers of artists to study the impact of the ACA on the health insurance of these workers. We find that the 2010 Young Adult mandate of the ACA increases employment-related health insurance by 10.7 percentage points (ppts) (and any coverage by 6.6 ppts) for 21–25 year-old artists and that the Medicaid coverage rate of artists below the poverty level increases by 12.4 ppts (although its effects on any coverage are statistically imprecise) due to the state Medicaid expansion component of the ACA in 2014. Both these effects are significantly larger than for other workers. Our results thus indicate that recent health reforms have important and larger effects on artist occupations than other worker populations.

Paper: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10824-019-09352-5

+ Gains in health insurance coverage explain variation in Democratic vote share in the 2008-2016 presidential elections (with Alex Hollingsworth, Aaron Carroll, John Cawley, and Kosali Simon, PLoS ONE)

In the last decade, health care reform has dominated U.S. public policy and political discourse. Double-digit rate increases in premiums in the Health Insurance Marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2018 make this an ongoing issue that could affect future elections. A seminal event that changed the course of policy and politics around health care reform is the 2016 presidential election. The results of the 2016 presidential election departed considerably from polling forecasts. Given the prominence of the Affordable Care Act in the election, we test whether changes in health insurance coverage at the county-level correlate with changes in party vote share in the presidential elections from 2008 through 2016. We find that a one-percentage-point increase in county health insurance coverage was associated with a 0.25-percentage-point increase in the vote share for the Democratic presidential candidate. We further find that these gains on the part of the Democratic candidate came almost fully at the expense of the Republican (as opposed to third-party) presidential candidates. We also estimate models separately for states that did and did not expand Medicaid and find no differential effect of insurance gains on Democratic vote share for states that expanded Medicaid compared to those that did not. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that outcomes in health insurance markets played a role in the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. The decisions made by the current administration, and how those decisions affect health insurance coverage and costs, may be important factors in future elections as well.

Paper: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0214206

+ Coverage For Self-Employed And Others Without Employer Offers Increased After 2014 (with Sandra Decker and Asako Moriya, Health Affairs)

Little is known about how the Affordable Care Act might have differentially affected insurance coverage for self-employed workers, wage earners with and without offers of employer-sponsored insurance, and people not employed. We found that the self-employed and wage earners without employer coverage offers had coverage gains equal to or greater than those of people not employed.

Press Coverage: Physician's Briefing, Drugs.com, Doctors Lounge, Medical Xpress

Paper: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1663

+ Third Year of Survey Data Shows Continuing Benefits of Medicaid Expansions for Low-Income Childless Adults in the U.S. (with John Cawley and Kosali Simon, Journal of General Internal Medicine)

Background: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 incentivized states to expand eligibility for their Medicaid programs. Many did so in 2014, and there has been great interest in understanding the effects of these expansions on access to health care, health care utilization, and population health. Objective: To estimate the longer-term (three-year) impact of Medicaid expansions on insurance coverage, access to care, preventive care, self-assessed health, and risky health behaviors. Design: A difference-in-differences model, exploiting variation across states and over time in Medicaid expansion, was estimated using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for 2010–2016. Participants: Low-income childless adults aged 19–64 years in the BRFSS. Main Measures: Outcomes included insurance coverage, access to care, several forms of preventive care (e.g., routine checkups, flu shots, HIV tests, dental visits, and cancer screening), risky health behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol abuse, obesity), and self-assessed health. Key Results: The previously documented benefits of Medicaid expansions on insurance coverage, access to care, preventive care, and self-assessed health have persisted 3 years after expansion. There was no detectable effect on risky health behaviors. Conclusions: The Affordable Care Act was motivated in part by a desire to increase health insurance coverage, improve access to care, and increase use of preventive care. The Medicaid expansions facilitated by the ACA are helping to achieve those objectives, and the benefits have persisted 3 years after expansion.

Paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11606-018-4537-0

+ Effect of Medicaid Expansions of 2014 on Overall and Early-Stage Cancer Diagnoses (with John Cawley, Kosali Simon, and Lindsay Sabik, American Journal of Public Health)

Objectives: To determine whether the 2014 Medicaid expansions facilitated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) impacted early cancer diagnosis for non-elderly adults. Methods: Using SEER Cancer Registry data from 2010 through 2014, we estimated a difference-in-differences model of cancer diagnosis rates, both overall and by stage, comparing changes in county-level diagnosis rates in states that expanded Medicaid in 2014 to those that did not expand Medicaid. Results: Among the 611 counties in this study, overall cancer diagnoses increased by 8.0 per 100,000 population (95% CI, 0.3 to 15.6) or 3.4%. Early stage diagnoses increased by 9.0 per 100,000 population (95% CI, 3.2 to 14.8) or 6.4%. Late stage diagnoses did not change significantly. Conclusions: In their first year, Medicaid expansions were associated with an increase in cancer diagnosis, particularly at the early stage. Public Health Implications: Expanding public health insurance may be an avenue for improving cancer detection, which is associated with improved patient outcomes, including reduced mortality.

Press Coverage: US News & World Report, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, West Virginia Public Radio, Doctors Lounge, American Journal of Managed Care, Healio, EurekAlert

Paper: http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304166

+ Changes in Insurance Coverage Among Cancer Patients After the Affordable Care Act (with Lindsay Sabik, Kosali Simon, and Benjamin Sommers, JAMA Oncology)

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has reduced uninsurance to an historic low. Debate continues about potential changes to the law, which could affect coverage for millions, particularly those with pre-existing conditions. Meanwhile, cancer is the leading cause of death among Americans under age 65. Cancer treatment is often unaffordable for uninsured patients, and some studies suggest expanding insurance could improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Our objective was to quantify changes in health insurance under the ACA among patients newly diagnosed with cancer.

Press coverage: ABC News, US News & World Report, Los Angeles Times, MSN, Indiana Public Radio, Reuters, EurekAlert, Drugs.com, Oncology Nurse Advisor, Medical Xpress, Newswise, EHE + Me, Doctors Lounge, Health Medicine Network, MedIndia, Science Newsline, Medscape, Health Day, Medical Research, Healio

Paper: http://ja.ma/2yZR0ow

+ Medicaid Expansion Status and State Trends in Supplemental Security Income Program Participation (with Marguerite Burns, Laura Dague, & Kosali Simon, Health Affairs)

Before 2014, the primary path to Medicaid eligibility for non-elderly childless adults was the Supplemental Security Income program (SSI). The SSI program typically confers immediate Medicaid eligibility to adults with a work-limiting disability, low income, and limited assets. After 2014, in the 32 states and DC that expanded Medicaid, low-income adults became eligible for Medicaid without having to obtain “disabled” status. In the non-expansion states, SSI (which allows for lower earnings limits than the 2014 Medicaid expansion) remained the primary avenue for non-elderly childless adults to obtain Medicaid. We use data from the American Community Survey and the Social Security Administration to estimate the impact of the Medicaid expansion on SSI participation. We find that in states that expanded Medicaid, participation in the SSI program decreased by about 3 percent relative to pre-expansion levels. This suggests Medicaid expansion may reduce SSI participation.

Press coverage: Wisconsin Public Radio, Indiana Public Radio, EurekAlert, Medical XPress

Paper: http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/36/8/1485

+ Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care Act and Insurance Coverage in Rural and Urban Areas (with Kosali Simon and Michael Hendryx, Journal of Rural Health)

Purpose: To analyze the differential rural-urban impacts of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion on low-income childless adults’ health insurance coverage. Methods: Using data from the American Community Survey years 2011-2015, we conducted a difference-in-differences regression analysis to test for changes in the probability of low-income childless adults having insurance in states that expanded Medicaid versus states that did not expand, in rural versus urban areas. Analyses employed survey weights, adjusted for covariates, and included a set of falsification tests as well as sensitivity analyses. Findings: Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act increased the probability of Medicaid coverage for targeted populations in rural and urban areas, with a significantly greater increase in rural areas (P < .05), but some of these gains were offset by reductions in individual purchased insurance among rural populations (P < .01). Falsification tests showed that the insurance increases were specific to low-income childless adults, as expected, and were largely insignificant for other populations. Conclusions: The Medicaid expansion increased the probability of having “any insurance” for the pooled urban and rural low-income populations, and it specifically increased Medicaid coverage more in rural versus urban populations. There was some evidence that the expansion was accompanied by some shifting from individual purchased insurance to Medicaid in rural areas, and there is a need for future work to understand the implications of this shift on expenditures, access to care and utilization.

Paper: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jrh.12234/full

+ The Impact of Health Insurance on Preventive Care and Health Behaviors: Evidence from the First Two Years of the ACA Medicaid Expansions (with Kosali Simon and John Cawley, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management)

The U.S. population receives suboptimal levels of preventive care and has a high prevalence of risky health behaviors. One goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to increase preventive care and improve health behaviors by expanding access to health insurance. This paper estimates how the ACA-facilitated state-level expansions of Medicaid in 2014 affected these outcomes. Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and a difference-in-differences model that compares states that did and did not expand Medicaid, we examine the impact of the expansions on preventive care (e.g., dental visits, immunizations, mammograms, cancer screenings), risky health behaviors (e.g., smoking, heavy drinking, lack of exercise, obesity), and self-assessed health. We find that the expansions increased insurance coverage and access to care among the targeted population of low-income childless adults. The expansions also increased use of certain forms of preventive care, but there is no evidence that they increased ex ante moral hazard (i.e., there is no evidence that risky health behaviors increased in response to health insurance coverage). The Medicaid expansions also modestly improved self-assessed health.

Press coverage: Newswise, UPI, Health Medicine Network, Healio, Science Daily, Becker's Hospital Review, Insurance News Net, EurekAlert, myScience, Breitbart, Medical XPress, Health Management Technology, IU Bloomington Newsroom, Indiana Daily Student, Cornell Chronicle, WVPE 88.1, WBOI 89.1, APPAM Public Policy News, Health Affairs Blog

Paper: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pam.21972/full

+ OTHER PUBLISHED WORK

+ PAPERS UNDER REVIEW

  • Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3268968) - cited in White House Council of Economic Advisors report on opioids
  • The Impact of State Medicaid Eligibility and Benefits Policy on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Hospitalizations (with Lindsey Bullinger, Christina Andrews, Amanda Abraham, and Kosali Simon)
  • New York State’s Paid Family Leave Program and Health Behaviors (with Neko Castleberry and Taryn Morrissey)
  • The Impact of Opioid Prescribing Limits on Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits (with Coleman Drake, Jiebing Wen, Dylan Nagy, Julie Donohue, and Hefei Wen)

+ WORKS IN PROGRESS

  • The Impact of Increased Pharmaceutical Access on Elderly Adults’ Functional Outcomes
  • Drugs and Diet: The Impact of Prescription Drug Insurance on Food Consumption
  • Impacts of the Affordable Care Act Dependent Coverage Mandate on Young Adults’ Consumption
  • Medicaid Expansion and the COVID-19 Pandemic (with Alexandra Rakus)
  • Americans’ Trust in Government and Health Behavior amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic (with Elizabeth Suhay, Claudia Persico, and Dave Marcotte)
  • Unemployment and Trust in Government Institutions (with Claudia Persico, Dave Marcotte, and Elizabeth Suhay)
  • Effects of Medicaid Expansion on Self-Assessed Health in the Sixth Year After Expansion (with Kosali Simon and John Cawley)

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS & EXTERNAL SEMINARS

+ 2022

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "Did the ACA Medicaid Expansion Protect Low-Income People during COVID Pandemic?" March 2022. Austin, TX.

+ 2021

American Society of Health Economists. "The Impact of State Medicaid Eligibility and Benefits Policy on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Hospitalizations." June 2021. Virtual Conference.

Vanderbilt University, School of Medicine. "How do Mass Shootings Affect Community Wellbeing." June 2021. Nashville, TN.

Los Angeles City Health Commission. "Narrow Networks in Health Insurance Markets." May 2021. Los Angeles, CA.

+ 2020

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "The Impact of Increased Pharmaceutical Access on Elderly Adults’ Long-Term Care Utilization: Evidence from the Introduction of Medicare Part D." November 2020. Virtual Conference.

Eastern Economic Association. "The Impact of Increased Pharmaceutical Access on Elderly Adults’ Long-Term Care Utilization: Evidence from the Introduction of Medicare Part D." February 2020. Boston, MA.

US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. "The Impact of Increased Pharmaceutical Access on Elderly Adults’ Long-Term Care Utilization: Evidence from the Introduction of Medicare Part D." January 2020. Rockville, MD.

+ 2019

Southern Economic Association. "Changes in Opioid-Related Hospital Use Under the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion." November 2019. Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Southern Economic Association. "The Impact of State Medicaid Policy on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Hospitalizations." November 2019. Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "Levels of Employment and Community Engagement among Low-Income Adults: Implications for Medicaid Work Requirements." November 2019. Denver, CO.

American Society of Health Economists. "Consumption Effects of Health Insurance Expansions for Young Adults: Evidence from Scanner Data." June 2019. Washington, DC.

American Economic Association. "Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D." January 2019. Atlanta, GA.

+ 2018

University of Utah. "Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D." December 2018. Salt Lake City, UT.

US Food and Drug Administration. "Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D." December 2018. Silver Spring, MD.

Pennsylvania State University, School of Public Policy. "Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D." November 2018. State College, PA.

American University, School of Public Affairs. "Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D." November 2018. Washington, DC.

Southern Economic Association. "Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D." November 2018. Washington, DC.

George Washington University, Milken Institute of Public Health. "Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D." November 2018. Washington, DC.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D." November 2018. Washington, DC.

Boston University, School of Public Health. "Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D." November 2018. Boston, MA.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Department of Economics. "Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D." September 2018. Indianapolis, IN.

American Society of Health Economists. "Health Insurance, Price Changes, and the Demand for Pain Relief Drugs: Evidence from Medicare Part D." June 2018. Atlanta, GA.

American Society of Health Economists. "The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Diagnosis and Outcomes." June 2018. Atlanta, GA.

+ 2017

IU/UofL/VU Health Economics and Policy Workshop. "Drugs and Diet: The Impact of Prescription Drug Coverage on Food Habits." December 2017. Louisville, KY.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "Consumption Effects of Health Insurance Expansions: Evidence from Scanner Data." November 2017. Chicago, IL.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "Are Prescription Drugs and Over-the-Counter Medicines Substitutes or Complements?: Evidence from Medicare Part D." November 2017. Chicago, IL.

Population Health Science Research Workshop. "The Medicaid Expansions of 2014 Increased Early Stage Cancer Diagnoses." (Poster) October 2017. Boston, MA.

International Health Economics Association. "Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion Led to Increased Early Stage Cancer Diagnoses." July 2017. Boston, MA.

AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting. "Impact of Tennessee Medicaid Disenrollment in Rural Areas: An ACA Presage?." June 2017. New Orleans, LA.

AcademyHealth Health Economics Interest Group. "Expanded Insurance Coverage Options are Associated with Increased Coverage for Workers without Access to Group Insurance." (Best Poster Award) June 2017. New Orleans, LA.

Eastern Economic Association. "Medicaid Expansion Status and State Trends in Supplemental Security Income Program Participation." February 2017. New York, NY.

+ 2016

IU/UofL/VU Health Economics and Policy Workshop. "The Impact of Public Health Insurance Expansions on Over-the-Counter Purchases." December 2016. Bloomington, IN.

American Society of Health Economists. "The Impact of Health Insurance on Preventive Care and Health Behaviors: Evidence from the First Two Years of the ACA Medicaid Expansions." (Poster) June 2016. Philadelphia, PA.

CONFERENCE DISCUSSANT

+ 2021

American Society of Health Economists. "A Decade Under the ACA: What's Happened with Socioeconomic Disparities in Access?" Presenting author: Kevin Griffith, Vanderbilt University. June 2021. Virtual Conference.

American Society of Health Economists. "Does Private Insurance Provide More Medical Care?" Presenting author: Naomi B. Zewde, City University of New York. June 2021. Virtual Conference.

American Society of Health Economists. "Profiting from Most-Favored Customer Procurement Rules: Evidence from Medicaid." Presenting author: Josh Feng, University of Utah. June 2021. Virtual Conference.

American Society of Health Economists. "Health Insurance and Hospital Supply: Evidence from 1950s Coal Country." Presenting author: Erin Troland, Federal Reserve System. June 2021. Virtual Conference.

+ 2020

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management International Conference. "Integration of Care for Specific Populations." Presenting authors: Ning Tao, Cristina Catallo, Siu Mee Cheng, Karsten Vrangbaek, & Thomas Gower. July 2020. Virtual conference.

+ 2019

Southern Economic Association. "Medicaid Expansion in Louisiana Saved Lives." Presenting author: Kevin Callison, Tulane University. November 2019. Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Southern Economic Association. "US Department of Health and Human Services Excluded Doctors Attributed to Fewer Opioid Overdose Deaths, 2009-2017." Presenting author: Samantha Harris, University of Georgia. November 2019. Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Southern Economic Association. "Medical Marijuana Laws, Marijuana Use, and Opioid-Related Outcomes among Women in the United States." Presenting author: Chandler McClellan, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. November 2019. Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "Integrated Care Models and Behavioral Healthcare Utilization: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Medicaid Health Homes." Presenting author: Brendan Saloner, Johns Hopkins University. November 2019. Denver, CO.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "First Order Effects of the OxyContin Reformulation." Presenting author: Justine Mallatt, Bureau of Economic Analysis. November 2019. Denver, CO.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "The Pursuit of Happiness: A Calculation of the Hidden Costs of Being Black in the 21st Century." Presenting author: Joaquin Alfredo Angel Rubalcaba, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. November 2019. Denver, CO.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "Challenging the Narrative: Evaluating Mental Health Services Need, Political Economy, and Accessibility in Chicago." Presenting author: Kevin Rak, University of Illinois at Chicago. November 2019. Denver, CO.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "The Paradox of Racial Disparities in Alzheimer's Disease." Presenting author: Samuel Myers, University of Minnesota. November 2019. Denver, CO.

American Society of Health Economists. "Long-term Effect of Public Health Insurance on Criminal Behavior." Presenting author: Yaa Akosa Antwi, Johns Hopkins University. June 2019. Washington, DC.

+ 2018

Southern Economic Association. "Alcohol Ban and Crime: The ABC’s of the Bihar Prohibition." Presenting author: Mrithyunjayan Nilayamgode, University of Virginia. November 2018. Washington, DC.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "Mental Illness and College Educational Outcomes: Evidence from State Equal Coverage Laws." Presenting author: Keisha T. Solomon, Temple University. November 2018. Washington, DC.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "Insurance Expansions and Children’s Use of Substance Use Disorder Treatment." Presenting author: Sarah Hamersma, Syracuse University. November 2018. Washington, DC.

+ 2017

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "How Protected Classes in Medicare Part D Influence Drug Spending and Utilization: Evidence from the Synthetic Control Method." Presenting author: Courtney R. Yarbrough, Emory University. November 2017. Chicago, IL.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "Examining the Effect of the Affordable Care Act in Colorado on Access to Care, Financial Strain, Utilization and Health Status." Presenting author: Michael Hatch, American University. November 2017. Chicago, IL.

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. "US Family Firearm Ownership and Firearm-Related Child Mortality from 1976 to 2014." Presenting author: Kate C. Prickett, University of Chicago. November 2017. Chicago, IL.

International Health Economics Association. "Gains in Coverage in 2014, by Length of Time Uninsured." Presenting author: Salam Abdus, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. July 2017. Boston, MA.

Eastern Economic Association. "Does Medicaid Expansion Affect Employment Transitions." Presenting author: Erkmen G. Aslim, Lehigh University. February 2017. New York, NY.