It’s Time to Talk About Dementia - Penn LDI
LDI Senior Fellow Jason Karlawish discusses the changing landscape of dementia in his first installment of a new STAT News column, Neurotransmissions.| Penn LDI
Cross-posted from CHOP PolicyLab’s blog, courtesy of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia PolicyLab. During the COVID-19 public health emergency in 2021, the federal government expanded the Child Tax Credit, increasing families’ access to financial resources at a time of national economic stress. The expanded Child Tax Credit (eCTC) served as a natural experiment, allowing researchers to […]| Penn LDI
The following excerpt is from an op-ed that first appeared in The Kansas City Star on October 12, 2025. As a nurse and researcher who specializes in pregnancies complicated by fetal conditions, I’ve spent 16 years studying what happens when prenatal testing reveals a potential physical or developmental disability. And here’s what most people don’t […]| Penn LDI
The Trump administration, and Robert Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services, have drastically cut federal funding for basic medical research. There are doubtless many reasons, some ideological and some political, to dismantle an enormous federal agency that doles out taxpayer funds to academic researchers and their institutions in the quest to discover new knowledge […]| Penn LDI
Current U.S. payment structures inadequately support the financial sustainability of health-system-based population health programs, according to a new study published in the July edition of the NEJM Catalyst’s Innovations in Care Delivery journal. A ten-member research team co-led by LDI Senior Fellow Matthew J. Press, MD, MSc, and Wharton School MBA student Allison Ng, analyzed […]| Penn LDI
For decades, research on U.S. mortality trends has focused on the struggles of white Americans and the “deaths of despair.” Less known are the fates of Black Americans whose life expectancy varies dramatically across the American landscape. Blacks live longest in large metropolitan areas and in regions like the Northeast and South Atlantic while those […]| Penn LDI
Practice makes perfect often applies to surgery, where quality tends to rise with greater numbers of patients. But the same doesn’t hold in nursing homes. Data from more than 77,000 clinicians show that the number of patients a doctor or nurse practitioner sees in nursing homes does not affect whether these older residents avoid hospital […]| Penn LDI
The following excerpt is from an op-ed that first appeared in STAT News on October 1, 2025. One of the most contentious parts of President Trump’s recent tax bill is its requirement that “able-bodied” Medicaid recipients ages 19 to 64 (with some exceptions) go to work. Proponents say the policy will slash federal Medicaid spending […]| Penn LDI
As the largest integrated health care system in the U.S., the Veterans Health Administration provides care to more than 9.1 million veterans. And in a bid to give former military service members more choice, Congress passed the 2014 CHOICE Act and 2018 MISSION Act, first allowing, and then expanding veterans’ options to obtain care outside […]| Penn LDI
LDI Senior Fellow Jason Karlawish discusses the changing landscape of dementia in his first installment of a new STAT News column, Neurotransmissions.| Penn LDI
Rachel M. Werner, MD, PhD is the Executive Director of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. She is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.| Penn LDI
Penn LDI and Tradeoffs’ “Decoding the Moment” event discusses potential implications if Congress does not extend Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire.| Penn LDI
As Congress continues its debate about whether to extend enhanced Obamacare Marketplace health insurance subsidies, leading health economists at a University of Pennsylvania virtual panel discussion warned that millions could lose coverage, costs could soar, and thousands of lives may be put at greater risk—underscoring the stark tradeoffs between expanding access to insurance and curbing […]| Penn LDI
Children in the United States are dying sooner and are sicker now than they were twenty years ago. Chronic disease is more common.| Penn LDI
More older people are being diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) even as the treatment system often fails to help them. That’s the view of two LDI Senior Fellows who see these patients turning up…| Penn LDI
This op-ed was posted on August 13, 2025 by Philadelphia Citizen. The legalization of recreational marijuana remains unapproved in Pennsylvania even as various leaders up to the Governor circulate…| Penn LDI
Safety net hospital funding from federal, state, and local governments relies on definitions that yield highly variable results.| Penn LDI
A new qualitative study analyzed responses from more than 1,000 hospital nurses outlining barriers and facilitators to caring for disadvantaged patients.| Penn LDI
AI-powered system from Penn researchers boosts HIV prevention by creating real-time, evidence-based social media messages for hard-to-reach groups.| Penn LDI
LDI Senior Fellow Aditi Vasan and colleagues quantified the impact of Medicaid continuous eligibility policies on children’s health care use.| Penn LDI
Incarcerated patients often miss vital pre- and post-op care. Experts call for systemic reform to improve surgical outcomes for this vulnerable group.| Penn LDI
Eric T. Roberts found that D-SNPS, Medicare Advantage plans with integrated care for dual-eligible individuals, had lower disenrollment rates than other MA plans.| Penn LDI
A Penn Medicine program to train an inaugural cohort of teens to green their neighborhoods completed a month-long curriculum in late July.| Penn LDI
Mandated nurse-to-patient ratios save lives, reduce burnout, and cut costs. New Penn Nursing brief urges policymakers to adopt enforceable staffing standards.| Penn LDI
A new NEJM piece written by Atheendar Venkataramani explores how public discussion of policies can impact population health, particularly for marginalized groups.| Penn LDI
LDI Senior Fellow Ingrid Nembhard and her team made five recommendations to improve patient surveys in a JAMA Health Forum viewpoint published on May 30.| Penn LDI
A first-ever study co-authored by LDI’s Scott Lorch & led by Michel Boudreaux documented perinatal health care resources in communities prone to wildfire smoke.| Penn LDI
Congressional cuts to SNAP benefits are putting over 1 million Pennsylvania families at risk of hunger. Experts warn the $180 billion reduction will deepen food insecurity, hurt children’s health, and strain state budgets.| Penn LDI
LDI’s Executive Director Rachel M. Werner discusses the impact of OBBBA’s Medicaid cuts on long-term care in Marketplace’s “Make Me Smart” Podcast| Penn LDI
Trump’s Medicaid cuts hurt millions. Ezekiel Emanuel proposes a 7-point plan to streamline coverage, reduce waste, and expand access nationwide.| Penn LDI
We are Penn’s hub for health care delivery, health policy, and population health.| Penn LDI
The 2020s require a new strategy that moves from a short-term focus on testing new payment models to a long-term focus on expanding models that are most likely to generate substantial savings and…| Penn LDI
Report from a University of Pennsylvania seminar looking at the contrast between the “War on Drugs,” which devastated Black and Latino communities through mass incarceration, and today’s public health…| Penn LDI
Bachelor’s-prepared nurses are associated with better hospital outcomes, regardless of the educational pathway a nurse takes to get the degree.| Penn LDI
Steven Joffe, MD, MPH is a pediatric oncologist and bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania.| Penn LDI
Holly Fernandez Lynch, JD, MBE, is an Associate Professor of Medical Ethics and Law at the University of Pennsylvania.| Penn LDI
Eric T. Roberts, PhD is an Associate Professor in the General Internal Medicine Department at the Perelman School of Medicine.| Penn LDI
A study finds lack of access to nutritious food is associated with early death among cancer survivors.| Penn LDI
Steven Joffe, Holly Fernandez Lynch, & colleagues recommend five policy reforms to strengthen the FDA’s Accelerated Approval program for oncology drugs.| Penn LDI
Colleagues from Penn LDI & Yale School of Public Health compiled research detailing the potential mortality impacts of the GOP’s Budget Reconciliation Bill| Penn LDI
Zachary Meisel’s research memo to House Speaker Mike Johnson & Majority Leader John Thune estimates excess overdoses from the One Big Beautiful Bill’s Medicaid cuts.| Penn LDI
Sameed Khatana’s research memo to House Speaker Mike Johnson & Majority Leader John Thune estimates mortality impacts from the One Big Beautiful Bill’s SNAP cuts| Penn LDI
On November 12, 2024 LDI Senior Fellow Arina Chesnokova, MD, MPH and Julia Hinckley, JD, Director of Policy Strategy at LDI briefed staff members from the office of U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal on female sterilization access for individuals covered by Medicaid Insurance.| Penn LDI
Andy Tan testified before Philadelphia City Council in support of Bill 250213, which would increase penalties for selling vapes and nicotine products to minors.| Penn LDI
Rachel Werner briefed the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance on the impact of federal rules setting minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities.| Penn LDI
LDI’s Rachel Werner submitted research & recommendations to the U.S. Committee on Ways & Means regarding ensuring access to quality post-acute care.| Penn LDI
The 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision sparked profound change in reproductive health care, and there has been perpetual interest since in the effects of the ruling.| Penn LDI
When a mulithospital system initially buys an independent hospital, efficiency and revenue rise. This is not true when system-owned hospitals get bought.| Penn LDI
Since the Food and Drug Administration first (FDA) began approving commercial applications of CAR-T and CRISPR cell and gene-based therapies (CGT) over the last six years, there has been a growing…| Penn LDI
Improving health and reducing health disparities through a more equitable health care system.| Penn LDI
Penn LDI’s Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Program introduces students of diverse experiences and perspectives to the fields of health economics, health care management, health policy and clinical epidemiology.| Penn LDI
A 10-week fellowship in the demography and economics of aging and health care for undergraduates from underrepresented backgrounds.| Penn LDI
Aditi Vasan (she/her), MD, MSHP is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania and a pediatric hospitalist at Children’s Hospital.| Penn LDI
Hoag Levins is a journalist, photographer, and digital content producer who joined Penn LDI in 2011.| Penn LDI
George Dalembert, MD, MSHP is an attending physician in the Division of General Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the…| Penn LDI
Miles Meline, MBE is a Senior Policy Coordinator at Penn LDI. He was also a Summer Undergraduate Minority Research (SUMR) Scholar at LDI during the cohort of 2021.| Penn LDI
Paula Chatterjee, MD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine and Director of Health Equity Research| Penn LDI
Atheendar Venkataramani, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine,| Penn LDI
Optimizing insurance and access to health care to provide high-quality health care.| Penn LDI
Atul Gupta, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Health Care Management at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.| Penn LDI
Chris Tachibana is a Staff Writer for Penn LDI. She is also Senior Managing Editor of the journal Health Services Research.| Penn LDI
Medicare and Medicaid fail to work together effectively. For the 12.5 million Americans dually enrolled in both programs, navigating a maze of jargon| Penn LDI
CMS has frequently leveraged kidney payment models to test new policies that were subsequently integrated into non-kidney payment models| Penn LDI
Punitive laws, particularly against people who enter the U.S. at the Mexican border, may lead to poor newborn health.| Penn LDI
The federal government wants 80% of kidney disease patients to get dialysis at home| Penn LDI
