I find this both depressing and confusing. Confusing b/c Jay knows full well that both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines were approved based on placebo-controlled trials (>30k subjects each). Depressing b/c of how easily people abandon good faith.
www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/h...
The President of the United States is threatening to commit war crimes and wipe out a "whole civilization" — all because he started a disastrous war of his own making and had no plan and no strategy for how to end it.
This is abhorrent, and the American people do not support this.
Donald Trump is deranged. He must be impeached and removed from office.
Republicans who don’t stop him will have blood on their hands, and anyone who carries out an order to bomb civilian targets will be complicit in war crimes and will be held accountable.
Can health campaigns drive up your rent? 🍎🏙️
New NYC research shows "health sorting" spikes demand for homes near parks, raising rents by ~2% and displacing the low-income residents these policies aim to help. tinyurl.com/mpk98vnb
Is a child’s time worth "nothing" in healthcare cost calculations? 🧒⏳
Economic evaluations often ignore the opportunity cost of a child's time because they don't earn wages. New research calls for a change.
Time is a finite resource—regardless of age. tinyurl.com/54nmnj59
Congratulations, David!
And…
Condolences, David!
All joking aside, the department is very lucky to have you as chair.
📘 Now out: Health Economics, Volume 35, Issue 4 (April 2026).
This issue explores labor markets and health, insurance design, physician incentives, and the fiscal trade-offs shaping health systems worldwide.
Browse the latest research: tinyurl.com/4kvxpekb
Legalizing online sports betting may carry hidden public health costs.
New evidence shows a ~10% rise in binge drinking among young men after legalization—driven by more frequent episodes among existing binge drinkers, not new drinkers.
Policy spillovers matter. tinyurl.com/5ykmw8fu
Is aging really what drives rising hospital spending? 🏥
New evidence shows a more nuanced story: the “steepening” effect explains ~60% of growth, while the time-to-death effect offsets ~19%.
Demographics matter, but not in the way many assumed. tinyurl.com/5n85886e
Like father, like son? 🍺
New research shows alcohol habits are passed down—but primarily through same-sex lines.
📈 Mother-daughter & Father-son links are strongest.
🕒 Influence peaks at ages 15-17 & re-emerges at 28–37.
tinyurl.com/ycxsuh3u
Is Medicare Advantage still attracting the healthiest seniors? 🏥
New research shows a shift: Since 2017, MA enrollees actually have 5-6% higher predicted costs than Traditional Medicare.
The driver? A growing share of dual-eligible enrollees. tinyurl.com/2ef6v8e8
A simple behavioral nudge can significantly improve opioid safety.
In a randomized trial, reminder cards increased the return of unused opioids by 52% and reduced program cost per pill returned by ~25%.
Small design changes can strengthen public health programs. tinyurl.com/vvahcb9e
Analysis Group is proud to sponsor the Fifth Ireland Masterclass in Health Economics, which brings senior researchers together with early-career health economists for presentations and professional development sessions. www.maxwell.syr.edu/research/cen...
Does feedback improve health preference surveys? 🧪
A new study finds mixed effects: some respondents become more consistent, yet 71% stick with their original choices after feedback.
Are surveys guiding respondents — or nudging them? tinyurl.com/ydr2htsb
How does the law change how your doctor treats you? 🏥⚖️
New research shows that when malpractice "duty of care" is judged by national standards, MDs are slower to adopt new medical innovations—until they become the national norm.
tinyurl.com/3ehx259c
The abstract submission deadline for HHES is coming up in 10 day (March 15). It's always a great set of papers and an amazing setting, so don't miss it!
tinyurl.com/HHES2026-Inv...
Why pay for more treatments when we should pay for better health? 🏥
New research proposes a model for rewarding actual health gains using Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). 📉➡️📈
Let's shift the focus to value, not just volume. tinyurl.com/kry3yvty
This is amazing.
www.getyourfuckingmoneyback.com
🎉Introducing Dr. David Powell as a new Senior Fellow at Penn LDI!
Dr. Powell is a health economist with research on the opioid crisis, population aging, working conditions, and end-of-life care.
Learn more about his work: ldi.upenn.edu/fellows/fellows-director...
Stricter abortion clinic regulations were associated with a 6.6% decline in OB/GYN supply — about 2 fewer doctors per 100,000 women of reproductive age.
New research in Health Economics. tinyurl.com/4v5xajtj
A tariff “refund” mostly goes to whoever wrote the tariff check: the importer of record. That’s not the same person who paid more at the register. So refunds -- if they're offered -- might sound like consumer relief, but in reality, they're corporate windfalls.
If you’re into field journals, @hec-wiley.bsky.social is very active on BlueSky.
Friends, I have created a Starter Pack of economics journals (and working paper series) active on Bluesky. Hope this is useful for academic, policy, and industry economists alike. #Econsky Please let me know if there are any that I missed!
You could live here too! A new Senior Lecturer/Reader position to teach in our new Master of Public Policy Programme. Come build something great with me in a beautiful place!
Please repost.
www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...
Who knew “99 Luftballoons” would prove prophetic in the stupidest possible way. Well, this *is* the Trump regime we’re talking about, I guess.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...
Do free prescription drugs change behavior?
Evidence from Poland shows that removing out-of-pocket costs increased prescription use and reduced financial burden, with limited signs of offsetting overuse.
tinyurl.com/yc4fdprc
