Health Care Systems and Services

Recent media reports have highlighted startling trends in U.S. maternal health with stark differences across racial and ethnic groups. Maternal deaths associated with pregnancy and childbirth are high when compared to other developed countries and have increased substantially over the last two decades.

While multiple studies show a positive association between employment status and improved physical and mental health, it is unclear whether this relationship is causal. Building on work in Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas, the research team will analyze the effects of Medicaid work requirements on coverage rates, access to care, and employment among low-income adults.

In January 2020, the Supreme Court allowed the Department of Homeland Security to implement a new rule regarding the definition of “public charge.”  Our team is collecting primary data from two distinct populations to explore awareness of the public charge rule, sources of information about the rule, and how the rule may affect decisions on obtaining medical care and participating in public programs.

Combining claims data and income eligibility information for low-income adults in Colorado, the research team will investigate the differences in health care utilization, quality, and costs among low-income adults enrolled in Medicaid versus subsidized Marketplace coverage.

Childhood vaccines play a major role in minimizing the incidence of vaccine-preventable disease. While all states accommodate medical vaccine exemptions, certain states also allow for waivers on the basis of religious or philosophical objections.

This series of case studies identifies and describes several emerging and promising interventions that sit at the intersection of housing and health across the country. Interventions reflect a variety of approaches and models from a diversity of communities and will span both the public and private sectors.

This project investigates efforts in Michigan to address the needs of the “super-utilizer” population — individuals with serious health care and social needs who account for the majority of public health care expenditures in the United States. While there has been a growing number of interventions aimed this population, the existing evidence regarding impact is limited. The research is examining existing and potential policies that address the needs of super-utilizers while decreasing avoidable ED utilization and hospitalizations, and reducing health care costs.

This study examines state level regulations that are being used to promote access to care for primary care services and prescription drugs in private insurance plans. Data are being drawn from a regulatory review of all 50 states and a more in-depth review of activities in six states.