FEATURE STORIES

AI Could Cause Health Care Costs to Soar

Amol Navathe recommended aligning health care AI reimbursement policy with outcomes instead of inputs to prevent long-term cost increases.

Hospital Ads Drove Emergency Department Admits

Atul Gupta and Abby Alpert found that more hospital television advertising increased emergency department  admissions and greater Medicare spending.

Reducing Late Postpartum Maternal Deaths

LDI Fellows have developed and tested interventions that address maternal health in the postpartum period, including remote monitoring, long-acting addiction care, and more.

Private Equity and Addiction Treatment

Research by Marissa King and Victor Roy found that after private equity acquisition, treatment facilities served more patients and increased prescribing of medications for opioid use disorder, but concerns about quality remain.

Policy Takes on HBO Max's The Pitt

Meredith Doherty, Austin Kilaru, Eleanor Turi, Katie Auriemma, Eric Bressman, and Karen Lasater shared policy recommendations for issues presented in the popular show.

 UPCOMING EVENTS

Research Seminar with Emily Mrig, PhD

Thursday, April 23, 2026
12:00–1:00 p.m. ET

From Promise to Practice: How Payment, Coverage, and Institutional Dynamics Shape Access to Precision Medicine

In-person seminar open to Penn affiliates, in conjunction with the Emerging Scholars Exchange Program.

Charles C. Leighton, MD Memorial Lecture with Said Ibrahim, MD, MBA

Friday, April 24, 2026
12:00–1:00 p.m. ET

Variations in Health Care Access, Utilization, and Outcomes: The Case of Elective Joint Replacement

In-person event open to Penn affiliates.

 EVENT RECAPS

Health Care Affordability: Evidence and Federal Policy Options

At our nonpartisan briefing co-hosted with Penn Washington, experts found notable consensus on the drivers of health care costs, and discussed potential paths forward.

Substance Use Disorder Policy & Care in a Time of Medicaid Change

Our virtual conference with CHERISH brought together 800+ registrants to explore the impact of upcoming Medicaid funding changes for substance use disorder treatment programs, as well as strategies to preserve access.

IN THE MEDIA

“Tech Bros Hacked Their Diets. Now You May Be Doing it, Too.” Anna Wexler. New York Times

“Top Leadership Experts Sound the Alarm on the AI Doomsday: Bosses Are Choosing Tech Over People.” Eric Bradlow. Fortune

“Making Lasting Change.” Katherine Milkman. American Scientist

“Once-Daily Pill Could Help Teens With Common Genetic Heart Disease, CHOP-Led Study Finds.” Joseph Rossano. Philadelphia Inquirer

“Sen. McCormick, NIH Director Tour Penn Medical Sciences Laboratory Amid NIH Funding Crisis.” Ezekiel Emanuel. WHYY

PUBLICATIONS

“Racial Disparities in Unmet Pain Treatment Preference, Pain Treatment Satisfaction and Subsequent Opioid Misuse: A Secondary Analysis of a National Multisite RCT.” Max Jordan Nguemeni Tiako, Eden Engel-Rebitzer, Ari Friedman, Frances Shofer, Abby Dolan, Erik P. Hess, Jeanmarie Perrone, Marilyn M. Schapira, Zachary F. Meisel. Journal of General Internal Medicine

“Maternal Nativity and Residence in US Territories and Preterm Birth.” Diana Montoya-Williams, Alejandra Barreto, Brielle Formanowski, Heather H. Burris, Sara C. Handley, Timothy Nelin, Scott A. Lorch, Robin Ortiz. JAMA Network Open

“Self-Reported Side Effects of Semaglutide and Tirzepatide in Online Communities.” Neil K. R. Sehgal, Jena Shaw Tronieri, Lyle Ungar, Sharath Chandra Guntuku. Nature Health

“Ixekizumab With Tirzepatide Achieved Greater Disease Control Than Ixekizumab Alone in Adults With Psoriatic Arthritis and Overweight or Obesity: Results From a Randomized Clinical Trial.” Joseph F. Merola, Philip Mease, Alan Kivitz, Naveed Sattar, Laura C. Coates, Daniel Aletaha, Cynthia E. Kartman, Peter Fischer, Luna Sun, Píndaro Martínez-Osuna, Andris Kronbergs, Purvi Prajapati, Anabela Cardoso, Mark C. Genovese, Alexis Ogdie. Arthritis & Rheumatology

“Approaches to Identifying Social Needs: The SECURE RCT.” Danielle Cullen, Rachel Brown, Katie McPeak, Jungwon Min, Bridget E. McGovern, Sarah M. Dziedzic, Joel A. Fein. Pediatrics

Penn’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics is a national leader in advancing health policy through transformative research.