This talk will explore the modern evolution and contemporary extent of wealth inequality in the United States and its relation to the design of health insurance benefits. The presentation will feature new and ongoing empirical research about high-deductible insurance and its relationship with racial wealth inequality, and the level of administrative overhead in private versus public managed care models for Medicaid delivery.

Naomi Zewde is an assistant professor in health policy and management at the CUNY School of Public Health in the city of New York. She studies how public policies can reduce inequality in health insurance and in wealth. Naomi is also a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, and formerly a post doctoral research scientist at the Columbia University School of Social Work, in the Center on Poverty and Social Policy.