About Me
I am a physician and behavioral scientist. My research and writing explore the quirks in human nature that influence our lives -- the mixture of rational and irrational forces that affect our health, our happiness, and the way our society functions. (more...)- Have a question or just want to get in touch? Email me at peter.ubel@duke.edu
My Latest Book
Tags
Abraham Lincoln ACA behavioral economics bioethics books I've been reading breast cancer cancer cancer screening consumer psychology diabetes disability doctor-patient communication end of life favorite quotes financial toxicity free markets government regulation healthcare costs healthcare quality health insurance health policy heart disease individual mandate insurance malpractice Medicaid medical decision making Medicare Nudge nudges Obamacare obesity partisanship pharmaceutical companies political psychology politics price transparency primary care prostate cancer public health public policy shared decision making sports Thomas Jefferson US historySearch This Blog
Archives
Categories
Blogroll
Tag Archives: Medicaid
A Surprising Way Health Insurance Might Save Your Life
Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID) speaks with members of the media at Trump Tower December 12, 2016 in New York. / AFP / KENA BETANCUR (Photo credit should read KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images) Back in May, an angry constituent asked Congressmen Raul … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged health insurance, health policy, Medicaid, Obamacare
Is It Fair to Reward Medicaid Patients for Receiving Flu Shots?
My son was underperforming at school, and I was gently encouraging him to try harder (if gesticulating like an over caffeinated Italian qualifies as gentle encouragement). He could not understand why I was upset: “Dad, most of my friends are … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged behavioral economics, health policy, Medicaid, Nudge
Unnecessarily Uninsured
This picture, from the Kaiser Family Foundation, shows that many people who lack health insurance in the United States right now are actually eligible for either Medicaid or federally subsidized private insurance.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged health insurance, Medicaid, Obamacare
Is It Fair to Reward Medicaid Patients for Doing What They’re Supposed to Do?
Most conservatives agree that Medicaid costs are too high. Most liberals agree that Medicaid patients should receive necessary medical care for free. And both conservatives and liberals agree that we should embrace ways to encourage Medicaid patients to obtain important … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged behavioral economics, Medicaid
Look What Obamacare Has Done Now
The percent of Americans without health insurance has dropped precipitously in the last few years, thanks in large part to the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. This is especially true in those states that, in accordance with the law, expanded … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged insurance, Medicaid, Obamacare
The Outlier Problem of Healthcare Spending
We have an outlier problem when it comes to healthcare spending. Sure, there are some services we provide far too often for far too many people. And in the United States, at least, most of the healthcare services we provide … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy
Tagged health policy, healthcare costs, Medicaid
When It Comes to Controlling Healthcare Costs, the Government Outperforms Private Industry
When I think of the federal government, “efficiency” is rarely the first thing on my mind. But when it comes to controlling healthcare costs, we need to consider the possibility that the federal government is better at this job than … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged health insurance, healthcare costs, Medicaid, Medicare
How Generously Does Your State Reimburse for Medicaid?
A while ago, I wrote a post on how hard it can be for Medicaid recipients to get medical appointments, because so many physicians limit the number of Medicaid patients they see. They limit the number because Medicaid reimbursement is … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy
Tagged health policy, healthcare costs, Medicaid
Should North Carolina Expand Medicaid?
My home state of North Carolina is one of a number of states that refused to expand Medicaid, even though the Affordable Care Act stipulates that the federal government will cover the majority of expenses associated with such expansion. Here … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy, Medical Decision Making
Tagged Medicaid, Obama care, partisanship
Does the Name “the Affordable Care Act” Bias People Against the Affordable Care Act ?
The always informative Jonathan Cohn at the New Republic recently wrote about an opinion poll that seems to show significant support for at least one part of The Affordable Care Act. It showed a majority not only of Democrats and … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy, Political Psychology
Tagged Medicaid, Obama care, partisanship