Policy Archives

03.17.2022 Birth Certificates

Birth Certificate Policies and LGBTQ+ Families

Birth registration systems in some states have begun to include options for diverse family structures, but this is not the case nationally.

Guest Authors Adary Zhang, Stephanie A. Leonard, Juno Obedin-Maliver

02.22.2022 a graph with black lines and white text

Does Data Matter to Policymakers?

Research findings could be used to motivate elected officials to put greater emphasis on evidence in their decision-making process.

Fellow Devin O'Donnell

02.15.2022 covid knocking dominoes over

Covid-19's Wide Ranging Impacts

Public Health – Seattle & King County worked with partners to access new, timely data to monitor Covid-19 indicators for better decision-making.

Guest Authors Abigail Sekar, Eva Wong, Amy Laurent

10.21.2021 environmental justice illustration

Environmental Justice Finally Legitimized in Massachusetts

The authors highlight recently passed Massachusetts environmental justice legislation and its implications.

Guest Authors Pierce Louis, Alexandra Skinner

10.13.2021 person performing cpr

Laws That Help Fight Overdose Deaths

Nearly all states currently have "good Samaritan" immunity laws to encourage calls for assistance during overdose emergencies, but statutes differ widely from state to state.

Guest Author Thomas Griner

10.12.2021 calendar with mammogram on it

The Ethical Trade-Offs in Offering Mammography Screening Incentives in Medicaid

Incentivizing mammography is ethically complex, especially as women’s autonomy may be undermined if financial incentives are used without the promotion of informed decision-making.

Guest Authors Claire T. Dinh, Harald Schmidt

06.29.2021 rainbow flag with gavel

The Cost of Anti-Trans Laws

The majority of US states have anti-transgender policies in place, potentially jeopardizing the already fragile mental health of trans youth.

Fellow Rubina Veerakone

05.07.2021 medical person with RX pad

Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Access Hinges on Policymakers

The Covid-19 pandemic has both increased the urgency of increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder and prompted an easing of regulations.

Guest Author Casy Calver

02.10.2021 a group of pink hands

Breast Density by Law

The standard for detecting breast cancer is imagery – either by mammogram or ultrasound. However, breasts are not uniformly photogenic.

Fellow Tasha McAbee

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