Opportunity for Health Lab

Can programs like guaranteed income and cash transfers boost economic security and health for low-income individuals? On October 18, the Opportunity for Health Lab, along with Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (Penn LDI), hosted a thought-provoking seminar, “Boosting Health Through Economic Policy,” moderated by our Director, Dr. Atheendar Venkataramani. Experts explored findings from 100+ pilot projects examining the benefits and challenges of unrestricted cash assistance programs to reduce financial stress, improve health, and support stability. Watch the full discussion here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eNyBr8Ct What are your thoughts—could guaranteed income be a sustainable path to better health outcomes, or are there better ways to support economic and health stability?

Our lab member Dr. Aditi Vasan’s work was recently featured in The New York Times! This piece highlights her qualitative research on the WIC program, showcasing the lived experiences of WIC participants and the barriers they face, from food choices to access challenges. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dKyGiQ_j In addition to limited food variety, the study finds that other barriers—such as stigma, inconvenience, and the complex enrollment and recertification process—are significant hurdles for WIC families. Link to study: https://lnkd.in/ew7Guzb2 Qualitative work like Dr. Vasan’s brings essential policy insights to light, and it’s inspiring to see her building a literature on administrative burdens in WIC that employs a range of methods. This depth of analysis makes her work truly impactful.

This Friday, October 18, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (Penn LDI) will be hosting a virtual panel discussion moderated by Dr. Atheendar Venkataramani: "Boosting Health Through Economic Policy: Increasing Income and Wealth." 💡 Don't miss this important conversation about how economic policies impact health outcomes! 📅 Date: Friday, October 18 ⏰ Time: 12pm-1pm EST 🔗 RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/epvy5UNy

Opportunity for Health Lab celebrated it's fourth anniversary last week with a retreat! We outlined new research directions, ways to proactively inform policy, and best data management practices. Our goal: to improve the #health and #wellbeing of all #Americans through better #science and dissemination. Here are some slides covering our progress and #impact to date: https://lnkd.in/er7G9crM For more, check out: https://lnkd.in/gJHcjTix

We are #Hiring! This is an exciting opportunity to join our lab as a Research Coordinator as part of an Economics Pre-Doctoral Fellowship! In this position you'll get to use cutting-edge scientific methods to solve big problems while being mentored by some of the incredible faculty members of our lab. If you're passionate about #economics, #policy research and #populationhealth, apply here. 👇

A study led by Sasmira Matta, co-authored by Atheendar Venkataramani and Paula Chatterjee, was recently covered in a Knowledge at Wharton article about how health care organizations may be contributing to racial wealth inequality. This study finds that Medicaid expansion was associated with increases in annual income for health care workers but only among those in the highest-income strata, suggesting that health care organizations are not sufficiently investing in their lower-wage workers. Link to study: https://lnkd.in/eGs5DtFp Read the full story here 👇

Tune in tomorrow, Friday August 9th! OfH Lab Director Atheendar Venkataramani will be presenting “Wealth, Public Policy, and Racial Disparities in Longevity” at the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition’s “State of Reparations in the Black Community” virtual conference. The conference is from 9A-4P EST (Atheendar Venkataramani is presenting from 10-11) and you can join here: https://lnkd.in/edSmpuMy.

Sanjay Basu (Waymark), Atheendar Venkataramani (MEHP), and Dean Schillinger (UCSF) have a new paper in Health Affairs, “The Risk of Perpetuating Health Disparities through Cost-Effectiveness Analyses.” 🔗 to article: https://lnkd.in/eA9zfGge This article examines how standard cost-effectiveness analyses can amplify systemic discrimination in other markets (e.g., other disease risks, poor access to health care, labor market disparities).

We're thrilled to see our research cited in this recent policy document from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)/ ASPE. A study published in Health Affairs by Aditi Vasan and Atheendar Venkataramani on Medicaid continuous coverage policies and children’s Medicaid enrollment during the pandemic serves as a compelling example of policy impact. Issue Brief: Improving Access to Affordable and Equitable Health Coverage: A Review from 2010 to 202 https://lnkd.in/eGD_cchS Link to study: https://lnkd.in/e_gatxzy The findings demonstrate how continuous coverage policies significantly increased Medicaid enrollment among children, underscoring the importance of maintaining these measures to ensure uninterrupted care for vulnerable populations #HealthPolicy #Medicaid #ResearchImpact

TODAY! Lab Director Atheendar Venkataramani will be presenting "Political Power, Status Threat, and Health," a joint project with lab members Lizzie Bair and Rourke OBrien.