Health Policy Research

Our health policy and economics faculty collaborate with health insurers, hospitals, physicians groups, state and federal government agencies, and public health entities to conduct program and policy evaluations, cost-effectiveness studies, and outcomes research studies. Our team is nationally recognized with an active extramural funding portfolio.

Meet Our Faculty

Supporting Institutions

  • Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)
  • American Institutes for Research
  • CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maryland
  • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
  • Fairfax County Department of Health
  • Jeffress Trust
  • MacArthur Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • National Institutes of Science and Technology (NIST)
  • PNC Foundation
  • The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
  • Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS)
  • Westat Inc.

Current Research

Payment Incentives and Population Health

  • hospital hallway

    How should insurers, physicians, and hospitals be paid to achieve population health, quality, and efficiency goals?

  • What is the effect of payment models for new entities such as accountable care organizations (ACO) and primary care medical homes?

Consumer Demand and Health Behaviors

  • Nursing students

    How can we encourage consumers to utilize more of some services and fewer of others?

  • What is the impact of providing incentives to consumers to improve their health behavior, such as diabetes management or weight loss?
  • What is the impact of providing more information on quality or cost of health services on the decisions that consumers make with respect to their own care?

Access to Care and Public Health Insurance

  • Pie chart

    What is the effect on health outcomes from geographic variation in Medicare expenditures?

  • What is the impact of enrolling people with chronic conditions in new forms of insurance, such as capitated plans?
  • What is the effect of expanding Medicaid coverage on care received by adult males, those with HIV, or those with addiction disorders?

Disability, Aging, and Long-Term Care

  • person in wheelchair

    How should long-term care be financed?

  • What are the policy implications of enrolling beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid into integrated acute and long-term care health plans?
  • Can early interventions help adults with disabilities return to work or continue working?
  • How do family leave laws affect caring for elder parents?

Quality of Care and Malpractice

  • woman speaking in courtroom

    What is the effect of non-medical exemptions to state school immunization laws on vaccine-targeted diseases?

  • How can incentives be used to improve care coordination for patients?
  • What approaches are used to mitigate malpractice, and how effective are they?
  • Does tort law improve the health of newborns?