Asako Moriya (Ph.D. '11) Co-Authors Paper Published by the National Bureau of Economic Research

Jan 03, 2012

Asako Moriya may have moved on from Carnegie Mellon University after earning her Ph.D. in economics and public policy at the H. John Heinz III College, but research she worked on during her time in Pittsburgh is just now beginning to receive accolades. Moriya, who currently resides in Indiana, is co-author of The Impact of the Macroeconomy on Health Insurance Coverage: Evidence from the Great Recession, a paper that was recently published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

The paper, written in collaboration with researchers from Cornell and Indiana universities, investigates the impact of the recent recession on the health insurance coverage of Americans. Some key findings are notable.

“The top-level finding through this research is that this recession has had a greater effect on insurance coverage than past recessions,” explains Moriya. “The demographic that has been impacted most is that of college-educated men between the ages of 50 - 64.”

“We found no significant impact on women or children, although public insurance coverage of children did increase during the time of our study,” she says.

Looking back on her time at Heinz College, Moriya feels her CMU experience will directly impact her as she continues her post-doctoral study, which began in September.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without my experience at Heinz College. Professor Marty Gaynor was my advisor and he has great insight in the areas of health care economics and policy,” says Moriya.

“I also value the interaction I had with fellow students while at Heinz College,” she continues. “It is truly a collaborative experience and a wonderful place for research.”

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