Medicaid Managed Care and Emergency Department Utilization: A North Carolina Analysis
by Temitope Ayokunmi Ojo Abstract In July 2021, North Carolina Medicaid switched from a traditional fee-for-service model to a Medicaid managed care (MMC) network. This thesis explores the effect of this policy change on Emergency Department (ED) utilization for Medicaid beneficiaries in North Carolina. A linear difference-in-difference model was used to estimate the change in […]
Alcohol Use and Assault: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from the Minimum Legal Drinking Age
by Maggie Hu Abstract While it has long been observed that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for violence, the economics literature has up until recently provided minimal persuasive evidence regarding the causal nature of this relationship. In this study, we employ a regression discontinuity (RD) framework to examine how arrest and victimization rates from […]
The Effect of Community Uninsurance Rates on Access to Health Care among the Insured
by Isabella Antonio Abstract While the direct effects of being uninsured have been studied extensively, there is significantly less research on how a high community uninsured rate can impact health care access for insured individuals. Using data from SMART BRFSS, I examine the effect of community uninsured rates on access to health care for insured […]
Investing in Rural Healthcare: Impact of Private Equity Acquisition on Financial and Utilization Outcomes of Rural Hospitals
by Amanda He Abstract Private equity investment in the healthcare sector has risen considerably in recent decades, yet the impact of private equity ownership in rural hospital markets is largely unknown. Existing research points to a correlation between private equity acquisition and increased hospital incomes and charges. Rural hospitals, however, are structurally and operationally different […]
The Effect of Gun Prevalence on the Occurrence of School Shootings
by Abigail Ullendorff Abstract This paper studies how gun prevalence, represented by federal firearm background checks, affects the occurrence of school shootings. While precedent literature has estimated adverse effects of school shootings on exposed children, including reductions in mental health, academic achievement, and labor market earnings, few studies have attempted to identify factors that influence […]
Impact of Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefit Expansion on Startup Funding
by Judy Tianhong Zhong Abstract In 2018, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that they would expand the supplemental benefits that can be included in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. The goal was to encourage insurers to innovate and test new benefit offerings that could improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare spending. A […]
Impact of Language Access Laws on LEP Infant Mortality Rates
by Andrew Ryan Griffin Abstract Starting with Executive Order 13166 in 2000, the United States federal government began to address the language disparity issues in health care. Around the same time, several states have begun to pass language access (LA) legislation mandating translation and interpretation services at hospitals for limited English proficient (LEP) individuals. This […]
The Effect of Workforce Participation and Household Income Contribution on Women’s Healthcare Empowerment in Rural Bangladesh
By Hannah Wang Abstract Women in Bangladesh have gained increased access to paid work in the past decade yet still experience limited choices and access to resources, which threatens their ability to exercise control over healthcare for themselves and their children. Several collective household bargaining theories hypothesize a link between women’s workforce participation and empowerment. […]
A perfect storm: The effect of natural disasters on child health
by Cheyenne Danielle Quijano Abstract Typhoons and their accompanying flooding have destructive effects, including an increase in the risk of waterborne disease in children. Using a spatial regression discontinuity design, I explore the immediate to short-term effects of flooding as a result of Typhoon Labuyo on the incidence of diarrhea and acute respiratory infection in […]
Long-term Benefits of Breastfeeding: Impact on Education in Indonesia
by Natalie Gulrajani Abstract Healthy breastfeeding behaviors have been shown to produce many long-term health benefits including improved cognition. This study uses data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) to assess the longitudinal impact of exclusive breastfeeding duration and early life breastfeeding practices on education. Though a positive correlation was found between breastfeeding duration […]
