Economic Research Initiative on the Uninsured

109 S. Observatory
M3242, SPH-II
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029

The Economic Research Initiative on the Uninsured (ERIU) at the University of Michigan is directed by health economist Catherine McLaughlin, Ph.D., and funded by the Princeton-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). ERIU seeks to initiate, commission, and disseminate original research to spark new discussions on health coverage issues.

Aims of ERIU:

• Expand existing knowledge base by collecting research from health economists

• Encourage economists not traditionally focused on health insurance issues, including labor and public finance specialists, to fill in the gaps and expand on existing research

• Engage economists to conduct original research into issues involving non-coverage

• Energize the field of health policy research

• Raise new questions about health insurance and provide better insight into why people become uninsured

• Stimulate conceptually sound research that will help policymakers, other researchers, and the media better understand health insurance and coverage gaps

• Disseminate research findings to impact the policy debate

For Researchers: ERIU seeks to diversify the pool of experts who study health insurance coverage trends and bring new perspectives to this field of research. To this end, ERIU has not only funded economists whose specialties (labor, health, etc.) vary, but has also created a page of tools for researchers new to–or even familiar with–the field.

For Policymakers: ERIU translates economic research for the policy community. To be relevant, economic research needs the input of policymakers; to be effective, good policy needs sound economic research.

For the Media: ERIU seeks to help journalists better understand why people lack health insurance coverage and what the labor market and health consequences of uninsurance are.