ECONOMICS PUBLICATIONS
Privatizing Social Insurance: Medicare Advantage vs Traditional Medicare (with Scott Bilder, Zarek Brot-Goldberg, Barton Jones, Iman Mohammadi, Zulkarnain Pulungan, Yalun Su, and Christie Teigland), Revise and Resubmit, AEJ: Economic Policy
Accompanying White Papers on MA vs TM: Enrollment Characteristics, Utilization, Quality, Plan Design Within MA
Media & Policy References: MedPAC March 2024 Report to Congress, Manchin-Romney Bipartisan US Senate Letter to CMS, 20+ Healthcare and Trade Journal Articles (see specifics here)
Rationing Medicine Through Paperwork: Prior Authorization Restrictions in Medicare
With Zarek Brot-Goldberg, Sam Burn, and Tim Layton, American Economic Review, Conditionally Accepted
Media Coverage: Medscape, AEIdeas, Becker's ASC, Tradeoffs, WBEZ, Fortune
The Value of Improving Insurance Quality: Evidence from Long-Run Medicaid Attrition (with Ajin Lee)
Journal of Health Economics, 2024, 94
The Behavioral Foundations of Default Effects: Theory and Evidence from Medicare Part D
With Zarek Brot-Goldberg, Tim Layton, and Adelina Wang, American Economic Review, 2023, 113: 2718-2758
Media Coverage: Commonwealth Fund
Private Versus Public Provision of Social Insurance: Evidence from Medicaid
With Tim Layton, Nicole Maestas, and Daniel Prinz, AEJ: Economic Policy, 2022, 14: 397-431
Media Coverage: NBER Digest, Brookings, VoxEU, CATO Institute
The Consequences of Health Care Privatization: Evidence from Medicare Advantage Exits
With Mark Duggan and Jon Gruber, AEJ: Economic Policy, 2018, 10: 153-186.
Media Coverage: New York Times, Academy Health, NBER Digest
Awards: 2019 NIHCM Finalist
Who Benefits When the Government Pays More? Pass-Through in the Medicare Advantage Program
With Mark Duggan and Amanda Starc, Journal of Public Economics, 2016, 141: 50-67.
Media Coverage: Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, Modern Healthcare, Marginal Revolution, Knowledge at Wharton, Health Affairs Blog
ECONOMICS WORKING PAPERS
Medicaid vs Medicare: Evidence from Medicaid to Medicare Transitions at 65 (with Tim Layton, Nicole Maestas, Daniel Prinz, and Mark Shepard)
Media Coverage: NBER Bulletin
Estimating Variation in Productivity Across State Medicaid Programs: Evidence from Dual-Eligibles (with Tim Layton, Nicole Maestas, Daniel Prinz, and Mark Shepard)
Efficiency Gains Under Incomplete Contracting: Evidence from Medicaid
POLICY AND OTHER RESEARCH
Rejection of Prescription Drugs Due to Formulary Restrictions: 2018 to 2024
With Caleb Alexander, Ben Ippolito, and Joe Levy
JAMA Original Investigation, 2026
Medigap Regulations Provide Protections but Raise Premiums
With Mike Chernew, Tim Layton, Michael McWilliams, and Jingwei Sun
Health Affairs, 2025
How Much Patient Cost Sharing is Paid Upfront for Care?
With Ben Ippolito
AEI Economic Perspectives, 2025
Patient Repayment of Hospital Bills from 2018 to 2024
With Ben Ippolito, et al.
JAMA Health Forum, 2025
Health Outcomes Under Full-Risk Medicare Advantage vs Traditional Medicare
With Ken Cohen, et al.
AJMC, 2025
Medicare Advantage Denies 17 Percent of Initial Claims
With Mike Chernew and Andrew Hicks
Health Affairs, 2025
Potential Spillover Effects on Traditional Medicare When Physicians Bear MA Risk
With Ken Cohen, et al.
AJMC, 2025
Medicare Risk Arrangement and Use and Outcomes Among Physician Groups
With Ken Cohen, et al.
JAMA Network Open, 2025
Comparing Expected Out-of-Pocket Costs in MA and FFS Medicare, 2014-2020
With Ben Ippolito and Erin Trish
Health Affairs Datawatch, 2024
How Do Prescription Drug Benefits Differ Between Medicare Advantage and Stand-Alone Part D Plans?
With Ben Ippolito
AEI Economic Perspectives, 2024
The effect of Medicare Advantage growth on Part D competition, costs, and coverage
With Ben Ippolito
Health Affairs Forefront, 2023
How should policymakers respond to rising cost-sharing that often goes unpaid
With Ben Ippolito
Health Affairs Forefront, 2023
With Ken Cohen, et al.
JAMA Network Open, 2023