Health Policy Evaluation: Lessons from the Oregon Medicaid Experiment

How do we measure the true impact of expanding healthcare access? The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment remains one of the most significant randomized trials in health policy history, offering critical insights into how Medicaid coverage affects physical health, mental well-being, and financial security. This text-only course guides you through the foundational concepts of health policy evaluation, research design, and the real-world clinical outcomes of the Oregon study. You will develop the analytical skills needed to interpret health services research and apply these insights to modern healthcare policy debates. What you will learn: Understand the foundational design of the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment and why randomized trials are crucial for policy evaluation; Analyze the direct effects of Medicaid coverage on clinical health outcomes, including diabetes, cardiovascular health, and mental health; Evaluate the financial protection benefits of health insurance and its impact on emergency department utilization; Explore modern health equity frameworks and how contemporary policy expansions build upon these historical findings; Apply critical reading methods to health services research and policy briefs to make evidence-based recommendations. The course begins with core terminology and the basics of randomized controlled trials in public policy before diving deep into the specific clinical, financial, and behavioral findings of the Oregon experiment. You will finish by looking at modern healthcare policy applications and practicing policy analysis through written exercises. This course is designed for beginners in public health, public policy, healthcare administration, or social sciences, and requires no prior background in statistics or economics. Start exploring the real-world impact of health insurance expansion today.