Conference Roundup: 2026 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting

Benefit Design, Coding Practices, and Federal Spending: Policy Challenges in Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage’s Provision of Expanded Supplemental Benefits and Acute Care Utilization

• Daniel Polsky, PhD, Johns Hopkins University, CHERISH Center Advisory Board Member, Co-author

Behavioral Health Treatment in the Perinatal Period

• Cindy Thomas, PhD, Brandeis University, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Chair

Association of Continuous Medicaid Eligibility with Postpartum Coverage and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

• Breanne Biondi, PhD, Boston University School of Public Health, 2024-2025 CHERISH pilot grant recipient, Presenter
• Rachel Epstein, MD, Boston Medical Center, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment through Varied Pathways

How Concerns about Diversion Affect Buprenorphine Access In Maryland Jails: Perspectives from Patients, Providers, and Custody Leaders

• Brendan Saloner, PhD, Brown University School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

New Frontiers in Causal Inference: Clinical, Equity and Policy Evaluations

Weighting for Sound Policy Research: Synchronizing Estimands with Model Specifications

• Matthew Eisenberg, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

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Poster Session: Healthcare Access, Payment, and Coverage

Randomized Member Communication Strategies In Maine’s Primary Care Case Management Program

• Breanne Biondi, PhD, Boston University School of Public Health, 2024-2025 CHERISH pilot grant recipient, Presenter

State Medicaid Payment Policies for Methadone Maintenance Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder, 2020-2025

• Allison Ju-Chen Hu, PhD, Tulane University Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Presenter
• Yuhua Bao, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine, CHERISH Pilot Grant, Training & Mentoring Core Director, Co-author
• Shashi Kapadia, MD, MS, Weill Cornell Medicine, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Nudges Vs. Navigation: Preliminary Evidence from a RCT to Promote Medicaid Retention

• Kevin Callison, PhD, Tulane University Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Mississippi Maternal Health Legislative Surveillance, 2012 – 2025

• Kevin Callison, PhD, Tulane University Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Suicide-Related Events and Assets As Documented In Electronic Health Records: A Scoping Review

• Matthew Eisenberg, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Expanded Access to Direct-Acting Antivirals for Hepatitis C Virus Treatment In Tennessee after Authorization of Non-Specialist Provider Prescribing In Medicaid

• Ashley Leech, PhD, MS, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

The Impact of Insulin Copayment Caps and Coinsurance on Insulin Use, Adherence, out-of-Pocket Spending, and Healthcare Utilization In the United States: A Systematic Review

• Benjamin Ukert, PhD, Texas A&M University, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

National Trends In Insulin Utilization, Adherence, and out-of-Pocket Spending In the United States, Stratified By Insurance Type, 2016–2023

• Benjamin Ukert, PhD, Texas A&M University, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author 

Poster Session: Child and Family Health

Utilization of Long Term Services and Supports Among Older Teens and Young Adults with Complex Medical Conditions In Medicaid

• Harold Pollack, MPP, PhD, University of Chicago, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Poster Session: Late-Breaking Abstracts

Buprenorphine Dosing Trends during Pregnancy and Early Postpartum

• Ashley Leech, PhD, MS, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Use of Specialty Substance Use Disorder Treatment Declined In the First Year of Medicaid Unwinding

• Catherine Maclean, PhD, George Mason University, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author
• Brendan Saloner, PhD, Brown University School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Not the Final Answer: Health Record Indicators and Natural Language Processing for Detecting Homelessness

• Richard Nelson, PhD, University of Utah, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Escalating after Hours Work In VA Primary Care: A Multi Year Analysis of Clinician Overflow

• Todd Wagner, PhD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Understanding Early Adoption of Ambient Artificial Intelligence Scribe Tools In Primary Care: Evidence from a VHA Pilot

• Todd Wagner, PhD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Medicaid Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) Coverage Policies and Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) Hospitalizations

• Hao Zhang, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Market Shifts and Regulatory Levers: Economics of Healthcare

Changes In Medicare Spending and Utilization after Private Equity Acquisition of Primary Care Practices

• Daniel Polsky, PhD, Johns Hopkins University, CHERISH Center Advisory Board Member, Co-author

Drivers of Change in Behavioral and Mental Health Care Access

Prices and Facility Characteristics of Private Equity-Acquired Residential SUD Treatment Facilities: A Secret Shopper Study

• Susan Busch, PhD, Yale School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Innovative Implementation Financing Strategies

Comparing Organization-Focused and State-Focused Financing Strategies on Evidence-Based Practice Sustainment: Outcomes from Two Federal Policy Approaches In Youth Substance Use Treatment

• Jonathan Purtle, DrPH, MPH, MSc, New York University, CHERISH investigator, Dissemination & Policy Core, Co-author

Aligning Research Investment with Patient Burden: A Learning Health System

• Todd Wagner, PhD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Speaker

Poster Session: Methods and Measurement Science

Using Natural Language Processing to Characterize Cannabis-Related Discussions from Integrative Medicine Clinical Notes

• Yuhua Bao, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine, CHERISH Pilot Grant, Training & Mentoring Core Director, Co-author

Implications of Omitting Observation-Status Data on the 30-Day Hospital Readmission Metric: Findings from Multi-States Pediatric Populations

• Jason Hockenberry, PhD, Yale School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

A Day In the Life: Creating the Clinical Activity Database to Understand Primary Care Clinician Work Using the US Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Medical Record Data

• Todd Wagner, PhD, Stanford University, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Presenter

Poster Session: Health Equity and Disparities

Z-Code Documentation of Social Determinants of Health Among Medicaid Beneficiaries In States Incentivizing Z-Code Use

• Beth McGinty, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine, CHERISH Policy Advisory Board Chair, Co-author

Longitudinal Analysis of Food Insecurity and Hypertension Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics

• Harold Pollack, MPP, PhD, University of Chicago, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Presenter

Persistent Despair or Contemporaneous Shocks: The Influence of Left behind Counties on Opioid Mortality

• David Powell, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Poster Session: Student Posters

Navigating the Allocation and Implementation of Opioid Settlement Funds: A Qualitative Study

• Matthew Eisenberg, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

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Poster Session: Mental Health and Substance Use

Barriers and Facilitators to Office-Based Opioid Treatment In a Family Medicine Residency Program: A Mixed Methods Study

• Jonathan Purtle, DrPH, MPH, MSc, New York University, CHERISH investigator, Dissemination & Policy Core, Co-author

Did State Legislative Prior Authorization Prohibitions In Private Insurance Improve Buprenorphine Treatment Retention?

• Allison Ju-Chen Hu, PhD, Tulane University Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Presenter
• Shashi Kapadia, MD, MS, Weill Cornell Medicine, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author
• Hao Zhang, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author
• Ali Jalali, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine, CHERISH Methodology Core Co-director, Co-author
• Yuhua Bao, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine, CHERISH Director, Pilot Grant, Training & Mentoring Core, Co-author

Impacts of Private Equity and Other for-Profit Behavioral Healthcare Acquisitions on Utilization, Spending, and Quality of Care for Medicare Beneficiaries

• Matthew Eisenberg, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author
• Beth McGinty, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine, CHERISH Policy Advisory Board Chair, Co-author

Use of Peer Support Services for Substance Use Disorder In Medicaid By In-Person and Telehealth Delivery, Care Setting, and Treatment Phase

• Beth McGinty, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine, CHERISH Policy Advisory Board Chair, Co-author

Outpatient Mental Health Services Utilization Following State Restrictions on Abortion

• Matthew Eisenberg, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Understanding Local Approaches to the New York State Opioid Settlement Regional Abatement Fund: Decision-Making and Resource Allocation Priorities

• Sugy Choi, PhD, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Presenter
• Noa Krawczyk, PhD, MS, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Critical Time Intervention for Persons Released from Cook County Jail

• Harold Pollack, PhD, MPP, University of Chicago, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Presenter

Statewide Implementation of a Maryland Law Requiring Medications for Opioid Use Disorder In Local Jails

• Brendan Saloner, PhD, Brown University School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Survey of Pharmacists’ Experiences with Buprenorphine Dispensing Policies (SUPERB)

• Brendan Saloner, PhD, Brown University School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Substance Use Treatment Facilities Not Admitting Patients Taking Medications for Opioid Use Disorder, 2015–2022

• Brendan Saloner, PhD, Brown University School of Public Health, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Opioid Use Among Medicare Beneficiaries By Race-Ethnicity, 2013-2021

• Hao Zhang, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Presenter

Poster Session: Dissemination, Implementation, and Impact

Evaluating the Impacts of Critical Time Intervention Implementation on Health Service Utilization Among Homeless-Experienced Veterans

• Richard Nelson, PhD, University of Utah, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Cost of Paired Peer Recovery Coach Case-Management Intervention to Improve Substance Use Treatment Engagement for Individuals with Criminal-Legal Involvement

• Harold Pollack, PhD, MPP, University of Chicago, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Measuring Value in Implementation Efforts: Costs and Benefits

• Andria Eisman, PhD, MPH, MS, Wayne State University College of Education, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Chair

Women and Gender Interest Group: Highlights in Women and Gender Health Research

Preferences for Abortion Access In Texas: Evidence from a Discrete Choice Experiment

• Jeffrey Hoch, PhD, University of California, Davis, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Insurance Benefit Designs and Care for MH/SUD

Effects of Zero Cost-Sharing for Behavioral Health on Utilization and Spending

• Catherine Maclean, PhD, George Mason University, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

To Require Prior Authorization, or Not to Require Prior Authorization: Evidence from Medicaid-Financed Buprenorphine Prescribing

• Harold Pollack, PhD, MPP, University of Chicago, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Late-Breaking Session: Shaping Quality in Healthcare: Workforce and Legal Perspectives

The Relationship between Tort Immunity and Nursing Home Staffing

• David Powell, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Poster Session: Women and Gender Health

Preferences for Abortion Access Among People Living In Texas: A Qualitative Exploration of Travel Decision-Making

• Jeffrey Hoch, PhD, University of California, Davis, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author

Poster Session: Digital Health, Data, and Analytics

A Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Economic Effects of Interactive Voice Response Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Patients with Chronic Pain

• Todd Wagner, PhD, Stanford University, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Presenter

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Policies Affecting Access and Financial Burden of MH/SUD Treatment in Medicaid

• Marisa Domino, PhD, Arizona State University, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Chair

Maternal Health Equity in Medicaid: Coverage, Incentives, and Outcomes

Rural–Urban Inequities In Postpartum Transitions to Primary Care Among Medicaid Women with Gestational Diabetes

• Hao Zhang, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CHERISH Research Affiliate, Co-author