Friday, April 1, 2022 | 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

"Medicaid as a Policy Lever for Improving Health Equity in the United States"

TALK ABSTRACT:

Medicaid is the single largest insurer in the United States and disproportionately provides health care coverage for members of minoritized racial and ethnic groups. Due, in part, to its federalist structure, Medicaid is both a source of inequity in the U.S. health care system, as well as a potential policy lever for achieving equity. In this seminar, Dr. Schpero will discuss three ongoing projects that examine how Medicaid mediates disparities in medical innovation, access to care, and hospital financing. These projects identify opportunities for federal and state policymakers to leverage the Medicaid program to improve health equity in the United States.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Dr. William Schpero is an assistant professor in the Division of Health Policy and Economics of the Department of Population Health Sciences at the Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University. A health economist, Dr. Schpero studies Medicaid policy and the financing and delivery of care for low-income populations. His research focuses broadly on identifying and testing policy levers that can be used to address racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in health and health care. His work has appeared in a number of academic journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and Health Affairs. It has been featured by Bloomberg, CNBC, Politico, The Washington Post, and other news outlets.

Dr. Schpero received his Ph.D. in health policy and economics from Yale University, during which he was also a pre-doctoral fellow in aging and health economics at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Before coming to Yale, he completed a master's degree and a research fellowship at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice. He received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College.

Full bio