Erica Eliason

This week, we're sharing another #FindingsFriday insight from an @amjpublichealth.bsky.social article led by CSHP and @rutgerssph.bsky.social's @ericaeliason.bsky.social.

It evaluates children’s #healthinsurance coverage during the COVID-19 #Medicaid disenrollment freeze: go.rutgers.edu/bejwpnrw

LDI Fellow Aditi Vasan studies children’s access to Medicaid and CHIP. Two recent findings shed light on what happened following the COVID-19 public health emergency:

#NEW: This week’s #FindingsFriday insight comes from a new study led by CSHP and @rutgerssph.bsky.social Assistant Professor @ericaeliason.bsky.social.

It examines changes in children's #Medicaid and #CHIP enrollment during the #unwinding of pandemic-era eligibility: go.rutgers.edu/hl0dce52

NEW: Dr. Aditi Vasan and @ericaeliason.bsky.social (@rutgerscshp.bsky.social) examined changes in children’s Medicaid enrollment during Medicaid unwinding, with findings suggesting that millions of children lost coverage without transitioning to CHIP.  

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Children’s Medicaid Enrollment Increased During First Year Of Consolidated Appropriations Act | Health Affairs Journal Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, which required the provision of national twelve-month continuous Medicaid eligibility for children up to age nineteen, children’s Medicaid enrollment i...

Some good news for kids' coverage! Aditi Vasan, Renata Howland, and I found that 12-month continuous eligibility under the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act increased children's Medicaid enrollment and helped offset children's coverage loss during the Medicaid unwinding doi.org/10.1377/hlth...

Continuous Medicaid Eligibility Matters for Children LDI Senior Fellow Aditi Vasan and colleagues quantified the impact of Medicaid continuous eligibility policies on children’s health care use.

New research from Aditi Vasan shows that Medicaid continuous eligibility policies reduce coverage gaps and unmet care needs for kids. As federal policy shifts away from continuous eligibility, this evidence is more urgent than ever.

Read the more here:
ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/res...

JAMA editorial, published September 24, 2025, titled "From Churn to Continuity—Reforming Children's Coverage" by Aditi Vasan, MD, MSHP; Erica L. Eliason, PhD, MPH. It discusses children's access to healthcare and health insurance coverage.

Editorial: Inconsistent health insurance coverage harms children's health, highlighting the need for stable, continuous policies like the 2023 Act amid challenges in the US' fragmented insurance landscape.

ja.ma/3LkpoAV

This week’s #WednesdayWisdom comes from a @jama.com editorial co-authored by CSHP Assistant Professor @ericaeliason.bsky.social and Aditi Vasan with @policylabchop.bsky.social.

They discuss the need to reform children’s #healthinsurance structures to prevent coverage loss: go.rutgers.edu/ztu2lpti

Reforming Children’s Health Care Coverage Children need adequate and continuous access to health care to grow, develop, thrive, and ultimately become healthy adults. Losing health insurance coverage, even temporarily, can have devastating…

“Although [children’s continuous coverage] may incur short-term costs, [it] leads to improved health, educational, and economic outcomes into adulthood.”

Drs. Aditi Vasan & Erica Eliason frame new research on churn in a fragmented insurance landscape in @jama.com. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

New article out! Historically, children had to be uninsured for some periods of time before enrolling in the children's health insurance program (CHIP). We find that eliminating mandatory waiting periods for CHIP coverage is associated with increased CHIP enrollment among children rdcu.be/eDdPK

This week we’re sharing a #FindingsFriday insight from a journal article co-authored by CSHP Assistant Professor @ericaeliason.bsky.social.

The study examines how #rural nonprofit #hospitals report their #community benefits to maintain their tax-exempt status: go.rutgers.edu/clnn8xu0

Today’s #FindingsFriday insight comes from a new @jamahealthforum.bsky.social article co-authored by CSHP Assistant Professor @ericaeliason.bsky.social.

It explores the association between #COVID era continuous #Medicaid eligibility and children’s #healthcare access: go.rutgers.edu/uzxcj9mj

Senate GOP passes Trump's sweeping policy bill, setting up decisive vote in the House The Republican megabill cuts trillions in taxes, while scaling back spending on Medicaid and other federal programs. It now heads to the House, where some GOP lawmakers are signaling major objections.

The Republican megabill cuts trillions in taxes, while scaling back spending on Medicaid and other federal programs. It now heads to the House, where some GOP lawmakers are signaling major objections.

BREAKING: A federal judge reversed National Institutes of Health's terminations of hundreds of critical research grants that were canceled because of their alleged connection to disfavored topics, including diversity, equity, inclusion, and gender identity.

This is a major win for public health.

Excited for this new paper out with Aditi Vasan, Jordan Wood, Doug Strane, and @dbnelson.bsky.social! We find that newly implementing continuous eligibility in Medicaid during COVID-19 was associated with reductions in children’s unmet healthcare needs, particularly among Hispanic children.

Medicaid Cuts Could Increase Maternal Mortality and Jeopardize Women’s Health Proposals to dramatically cut Medicaid funding could put the health and lives of nearly 24 million women at risk.

Proposals to dramatically cut #Medicaid funding could put the health and lives of nearly 24 million women at risk.

Our new report on the role of Medicaid for women of child-bearing age in rural areas w/ state by state data is here

Medicaid covers 47% births in rural areas

Rural areas have been losing labor + delivery units. Medicaid cuts will make this scary situation even worse for moms and babies.

Despite Historic Indictment, Doctors Will Keep Mailing Abortion Pills Across State Lines - KFF Health News When a New York physician was indicted for shipping abortion medications to a woman in Louisiana, it stoked fear across the network of doctors and medical clinics who engage in similar work. But some ...

When a New York physician was indicted for shipping abortion medications across state lines, it stoked fear across the network of doctors and medical clinics who engage in similar work. But some physicians vowed not to stop.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

A safe, healthy pregnancy should be a human right.

But Trump’s cuts to Medicaid and other programs will leave millions of pregnant Black women at higher risk of death.

We need comprehensive policies to confront the Black maternal health crisis, not worsen it.
thehill.com/homenews/rac...

Women Are Twice As Likely to Die in Pregnancy in States with Abortion Bans 4.23.25

Well, no surprise here: A new study from the Gender Equity Policy Institute (GEPI) found that women are 2X as likely to die during pregnancy in states with abortion bans. Twice as likely.

Meanwhile, maternal mortality in pro-choice states fell 21%. jessica.substack.com/p/women-are-...

It’s #FindingsFriday and today’s insight comes from a study led by CSHP & @rutgerssph.bsky.social Assistant Professor @ericaeliason.bsky.social.

The study examined the impact of #COVID era extended #Medicaid eligibility on self-reported postpartum #insurance status: go.rutgers.edu/v6vl7zso

Gold-standard maternal mortality database in limbo as CDC staff placed on leave As part of the sweeping layoffs that rocked HHS, the entire staff that oversaw an annual survey to better understand infant and maternal health was placed on administrative leave.

More fallout from federal cuts. Maternal health database at risk. By @aniloza.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2025/04/01/p...

Gold-standard maternal mortality database in limbo as CDC staff placed on leave As part of the sweeping layoffs that rocked HHS, the entire staff that oversaw an annual survey to better understand infant and maternal health was placed on administrative leave.

BREAKING: In the massive HHS RIFs today, one program that is now in limbo is PRAMS — the gold standard dataset for infant and maternal health in the US

🧪 #medsky

www.statnews.com/2025/04/01/p...

Children’s Insurance Stability and Coverage Inequities During the COVID-19 Continuous Coverage Provisions | AJPH | Vol. Issue Objectives. To explore the association between the March 2020 Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Medicaid disenrollment freeze during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and childr...

New publication out with @dbnelson.bsky.social and Aditi Vasan in AJPH! We find that COVID-19 continuous coverage increased Medicaid stability for children, particularly children in families with incomes 200-399% of the FPL and Hispanic children

ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/...

This week’s #FindingsFriday insight comes from a new #HealthAffairs article led by CSHP/@rutgersifh.bsky.social Professor @ericaeliason.bsky.social.

The study examines how state continuous eligibility policies and structures affected children’s #Medicaid and CHIP enrollment: go.rutgers.edu/3q6z78ux

<em>Health Services Research</em> | AcademyHealth & HRET Journal | Wiley Online Library Objective To examine the impact of extended postpartum Medicaid eligibility under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) on self-reported postpartum insurance status among prenatal Medi...

New paper in Health Services Research with Maria Steenland and Sarah Gordon! We examine how extended postpartum Medicaid during COVID-19 affected coverage continuity overall and coverage inequities by race and ethnicity and by state Medicaid expansion status
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Hear me discuss this new article out in Health Affairs on the A Health Podyssey podcast:
www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/h...

Continuous Eligibility Policies And CHIP Structure Affected Children’s Coverage Loss During Medicaid Unwinding | Health Affairs Journal In April 2023, with the “unwinding” of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) continuous enrollment provisions in Medicaid, states were permitted to commence redetermination and disenroll...

In a new paper out in Health Affairs, my coauthors and I find that the Medicaid unwinding has led to fewer children with Medicaid and CHIP. We found that state 12-month continuous eligibility and Medicaid expansion CHIP structures were protective against some Medicaid loss
doi.org/10.1377/hlth...

This week’s #FindingsFriday insight comes from a newly published article led by CSHP/@rutgersifh.bsky.social Assistant Professor @ericaeliason.bsky.social.

She and colleagues examined changes in children’s coverage during the #unwinding of #COVID era continuous enrollment: go.rutgers.edu/i90yufct

Exclusive: NIH to terminate hundreds of active research grants Studies that touch on LGBT+ health, gender identity and DEI in the biomedical workforce could be terminated, according to documents obtained by Nature.

NEW: The NIH has begun terminating grants for active projects studying gender identity, DEI, environmental justice, climate change, among other topics.

At least 16 termination letters have already been sent — and hundreds more are coming, people inside NIH tell me.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...