September 17, 2026
The Health Policy Section had a stunning showing at the AcademyHealth 2026 Annual Research Meeting in Seattle! Between May 30 and Jun 2, six of our fellows and faculty members presented their work across eight sessions.
Dr. Andrew Oseran presented on how Medicare Advantage impacts health care access, financial burden, and satisfaction for adults newly entering Medicare as enrollment in the program grows. (Oseran, Shanab, Tale, Qian, Wadhera) Later in the weekend, Oseran also presented on trends in cardiovascular diagnoses made during in-home health risk assessments, a feature of Medicare Advantage, and how these trends differ from traditional, facility-based visits. (Oseran, Liu, Zheng, Wadhera). Additionally, Oseran chaired a session on digital innovation and private equity in healthcare.
Dr. Bassel Shanab presented on trends in enrollment patterns for working-age Medicaid beneficiaries with cardiovascular disease, and the possible implications for Medicaid eligibility changes. (Shanab, Oseran, Wadhera)
Marcos Gomez Ambriz, the Smith Center's 2025-26 Zimetbaum Fellow, presented on changes in patient medical debt following the No Suprises Act of 2022. (Ambriz, Liu, Wadhera, Qian)
Dr. Lucas Marinacci presented on the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act's low-income subsidy expansion on cost-related medical nonadherence among the newly eligible beneficiaries. (Marinacci, Wadhera)
Dr. Prihatha Narasimmaraj, T32 Research Fellow, presented the group's estimates on the number of older working-age adults at risk of losing SNAP benefits under H.R. 1's ("One Big Beautiful Bill") expanded work requirements, and the characteristics of this group's physical health, mental health, and functional status. (Narasimmaraj, Vyas, Tale, Wadhera) Dr. Narasimmaraj also subsequently presented on changes in hospitalizations and mortality after the reduction of SNAP benefits between 2021 and 2022. (Narasimmaraj, Qian, Wadhera)
Kimberly Clinch, the Smith Center's 2025-26 Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellow, presented on the worsening cardiometabolic health of pregnant women in the US from 2001 to 2023. (Clinch, Tale, Zheng, Wadhera)
