A new study shows that stronger labor market policies improve maternal mental health before pregnancy. A $1 rise in the minimum wage cuts pre-pregnancy depression by 8.5%, and a $100 increase in the state EITC lowers it by 1.5%. Income support matters early. tinyurl.com/45ntn6rn

New evidence shows that growing up in families receiving larger Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) benefits reduces work disability in adulthood. Long-term income support does more than fight poverty — it shapes lifelong health. tinyurl.com/4ww5hjtr

In-utero exposure to COVID medical-procedure delay orders raised the likelihood of an adverse birth-outcome diagnosis by 13% (from a 6% baseline) and pushed prenatal care toward telehealth. Delaying “non-urgent” pregnancy care has real costs. tinyurl.com/5rtuy5y7

Argentina’s zero-tolerance drunk-driving laws didn’t deliver. A new study finds no drop in traffic deaths and higher injury rates after adoption, with little change in drinking behavior. Tough rules didn’t shift the risks that matter. Policy intent ≠ policy impact. tinyurl.com/7dkxbbw9

Most health studies model doctor and non-doctor visits separately. This paper shows why that misses the point: the two are tightly linked, driven by shared behaviors and unobserved traits. Joint modeling reveals who actually uses care—and how. 👉 tinyurl.com/5e7zanfu

New US claims data show a sharp ⬇️ in children’s asthma medication adherence during COVID — especially among the youngest children. Evidence points to parental attention as a key driver. Mail-order refills softened the decline. tinyurl.com/2mv5a85d

Excited to see UMD highlight some work with Felipe Lozano Rojas, Victoria Bethel, and @bradfowd1.bsky.social

This is a grossly anti-American infringement on 1A and academic freedom by Texas A&M. I taught transgender policy this week in my @uga-spia.bsky.social undergrad class. Students appreciate the chance to think about the issues. They can handle it! www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...

Can paying people to vaccinate backfire? A new study finds that 1 in 7 vaccine-hesitant adults who would have accepted a COVID-19 shot declined when offered money. Incentives reduced trust in vaccine safety & weakened prosocial motivation to vaccinate. tinyurl.com/4r885vkx

When outpatient care becomes affordable, patients don’t just visit the clinic more—they uncover hidden health needs. A new study finds that expanded chronic disease coverage in China increased both outpatient and inpatient use, revealing the cost of delayed care. tinyurl.com/4rnx2tyf

I just saw that @ossoff.senate.gov / @ossoff.bsky.social voted “no” on reopening government before the ACA fix is in place. Thank you Senator!

Hey, @schumer.senate.gov , I’m not one of your constituents, but I swear to God, if the senate Dems cave and sign off on a budget without *first* fixing the ACA subsidy problem I will give every penny I can to whoever primaries you. At this point you’re nothing but a worthless MAGA enabler.

New study finds that U.S. regions hardest hit by Japan’s manufacturing surge in the 1970s–80s saw higher cardiovascular & drug-related deaths among Black workers, but not whites. Trade shocks can deepen health inequality. tinyurl.com/ms3zm6su

Cleaner air, healthier beginnings 🌎👶 A new study finds that the EPA’s air-quality reforms did more than cut pollution—they improved lives from birth. 💡 Low birth weight ↓ 5.5% 💡 Very preterm births ↓ 13% 💡 Biggest gains for Black, low-educated & single mothers tinyurl.com/2pachbzr

Enhanced social care can reshape healthcare use. A new study finds that after joining Australia’s NDIS, people with disability made fewer subsidized mental & allied health visits—suggesting social care may replace, not raise, demand for clinical care. tinyurl.com/ywesp92z

Who says economists are out of touch with real people and that our work is irrelevant??? tinamarshdalton.substack.com/p/halloween-...

Registration is open for the Fifth Ireland Masterclass in Health Economics, which will be held March 18-20, 2026 in Galway at @uniofgalway.bsky.social. To register, email Ciaran O'Neill at [email protected] More info here: www.maxwell.syr.edu/research/cen...

When maternity wards are crowded, mothers receive fewer medical interventions—and newborns fare better. Evidence from Norway suggests that “less can be more” in healthcare. Read the study in Health Economics: tinyurl.com/mpd5w3yj

🤖 Can robots make us healthier? A new study finds that regions with higher robot adoption show ⬇️ in chronic diseases. As robots replace physically demanding jobs, they may reduce worker stress & improve overall wellbeing. tinyurl.com/yj2mf926

When a spouse dies, the surviving partner’s need for institutional long-term care spikes—by 1.5 percentage point within 3 months, then fades by 10. Early post-bereavement support is key to sustaining “aging-in-place.” Read our new paper: tinyurl.com/zpubkxhu

📢 New in Health Economics: The first large-scale longitudinal study (25,000 adults, 14 years) shows how #hope shapes health, education, work, resilience & social outcomes. tinyurl.com/4e43zeyb @brookings.edu @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social

Woman in charge of U.S. program to traffic humans arrives in London for human trafficking summit.

To drink or not to drink? 🥂 New in Health Economics: Cognitive skills link to frequent but lighter drinking, noncognitive skills lower risky use, while social skills raise both consumption and binge risk. tinyurl.com/3dftmvs4

📉 The ACA reduced uninsured rates—but not equally. In the U.S. South, counties in states with less oppressive racial histories gained far more than neighbors across the border with deeper Jim Crow legacies. History still shapes who benefits from reform: tinyurl.com/537z5ysx

📈 Once niche, health economics is now central to the field. A new study shows its share in top journals tripled since the 1990s—driven not by conformity, but by innovative, high-quality research. Health is shaping the future of economics.

👣 In Ethiopia, untreated clubfoot cuts children’s mobility, mental health & schooling significantly. Early Ponseti treatment restores up to 71–82% of lost human flourishing. A $500 intervention with life-changing impact.

In Sweden, mothers with less schooling were more likely to vaccinate after reading scientific messages. But emotional survivor stories backfired—reducing uptake among high school–educated mothers. 🎯Targeted framing can shift outcomes.

Flu season is coming. 🍂💉 A French study shows that invitation letters & free vouchers boost vaccination—especially among the most risk-averse. Clearer, targeted campaigns could save thousands. tinyurl.com/y7frzfk2 @universityofleeds.bsky.social

Does the way we frame #contraceptive effectiveness change people’s choices? New evidence shows risk and time framings—“5% will get pregnant” vs “95% won’t”—shift preferences in measurable ways.

Can stronger employer responsibilities improve workplace accommodation for sick workers? A new study from the Netherlands finds no significant impact on accommodations, but reveals firms are opting out of public insurance to manage costs themselves.

How can governments better target #health insurance for those most in need? A new study from #Indonesia applies machine learning to improve enrollment strategies—showing data-driven approaches can enhance efficiency & equity. Read the full paper here:

New research finds that Chinese-funded transportation infrastructure in Africa significantly improved child health, particularly during the construction phase. The likely mechanism? Mothers' increased paid employment during this period. 👶🚧 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

What happens to malpractice costs when states repeal noneconomic damage caps?Evidence from Georgia & Illinois shows insurance premiums jump 📈 —especially in OB-GYN & surgery—with stronger effects after State Supreme Court rulings. 👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

We wrap up #SHESG2025 on a high note with Christine Durrance presenting work with her colleagues on online dating, dating markets, and family formation. The internet caused a major shock in the way people meet - especially with the introduction of dating-specific apps.

For our third presentation of the morning at #SHESG2025 we have Wei Fu presenting work on the benefit of paid family leave in reducing child maltreatment. Obviously, the US stands out among developed countries as not having national paid family leave.

Next up at @SHESG2025, Katherine Wen presents work on employment and vaccine mandates. Katherine and her colleagues study the impact of vaccinations mandates surrounding COVID. You may remember that there was significant push-back from workers about the mandates at the time.

Hyun Soo Suh kicks off the Saturday morning session at #SHESG2025 with a paper on mental and physical health shocks and their effects of early career labor market outcomes. Their context is Australia using the HILDA panel data.

And now for the short presentations at #SHESG2025. Priyanka Anand examines how people use information when deciding when/whether to start claiming social security or disability insurance (between 62 and the FRA). SSA statements materially affect this decision, increasing DI apps.

Wrapping up the full length presentations for the afternoon is Nick Tilipman and coauthor’s examination of health insurance brokers in the employer sponsored plan market. Brokers actually interact with beneficiaries in more than 50% of employer sponsored plans.

Now Olivia Zhao is presenting her joint work on how drug exclusivity periods for brand drugs affects innovation (as measured by new patents). She grounds the work in a specific policy: the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now Act) and examines how it changed the Rx pipeline.

Kicking off the afternoon session at #SHESG2025 is Luca Maini talking about list prices for prescription drugs. What are they for? What effects do they have? It’s not like pricing for soft drinks. One of the reasons are PBMs and rebates.

Rounding out the morning here in Chapel Hill for #SHESG2025 we have Michael French presenting joint work on the impact of increased access to opioids via telehealth during COVID on the opioid crisis. There was progress before COVID, then opioid deaths started rising again. Why?

Next up this morning at #SHESG2025 we have Bobby Harris from Georgia Tech presenting a paper on behavioral responses to major clinical diagnoses. Do you imagine yourself to be rational and quick to change (e.g. exercise) habits when you get new information? Well, let’s find out!

Kicking off @SHESG2025 we have Koleman Strumpf with a paper on social media addiction. (Yes, we realize there’s some irony in you reading about the paper here.) He and his coauthors have data that links several thousand people across multiple mobile apps.

Explore our final paper in the Special Issue on #LTC, addressing a vital question for policymakers in England: optimal resource allocation for Adult Social Care. This research examines the effects of public spending on care-related life quality: tinyurl.com/27xp6699

Can long-term care #insurance ease hospital pressures? A Health Economics Special Issue study from #China shows LTCI ⬇️ inpatient admissions by 10% and costs by 16%, while shifting care to community services. Read more: tinyurl.com/a9yy9m26

Everyone, please welcome Bobby Harris to his first #SHESG2025 conference! We're looking forward to his presentation and presence.

We are looking forward to Koleman Strumpf's presentation at #SHESG2025 this year!

Do #incentives shape how care needs are assessed? A new Health Economics Special Issue study finds nursing homes in France often “upcode” disability, while local authorities may downcode—shifting costs to informal #caregivers. 🔗 tinyurl.com/yp9xxuwx #LongTermCare #HealthEconomics

We're thrilled to have Olivia Zhao presenting at #SHESG2025. Read her intro and find more about her at o-zhao.github.io