He is a health policy researcher and health economist. He completed his doctorate at the University of Michigan and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on health care for vulnerable populations, with a current focus on mental health services. In his recent work he has examined the long-term effects of exposure to Medicaid in early childhood, the effects of Medicaid eligibility expansions on mental health services, and the effects of the Affordable Care Act on mental health services and out-of-pocket spending. He also publishes on the relationships between health and human capital, on spending growth in Medicare, and on long-term care. He has been a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance since 2015.