Does Food Insecurity Influence Health Care Use and Spending?

The Nobel Peace prize was recently awarded to the World Food Program for its global efforts to achieve a world without hunger. At the same time, the devastating economic impacts of COVID-19 have led to more hungry families around the globe, including here in the United States.  Food insecurity is defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. COVID-19 has led to a surge in US households experiencing various levels of food insecurity.  In 2018, 12% of American households reported that they were food insecure, but this rate has nearly doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Minority households and households with children have been the most impacted by food insecurity, with school closures throughout the country preventing many children from receiving free school lunches they need.

Join us to discuss:

• How do climbing healthcare expenditures affect organizations, policy makers, and tax payers.
• Higher health care use among food insecure individuals and its impact on our economy.
• The correlation between chronic health conditions and food insecurity.

Karoline Mortensen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the University of Miami Herbert Business School. She is Associate Director of the Center for Health Management and Policy, and was the founding Director of the Master in Health Administration (MHA) program.

Emma Boswell Dean is an Assistant Professor of Health Management and Policy at the Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami. She is a health economist whose research encompasses issues related to pharmaceutical policy and pricing, global health, and the organization of health care markets.

Dr. Michael French is a health economist and Professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the Miami Herbert Business School, University of Miami, with secondary appointments in the Department of Economics and Department of Public Health Sciences.