J-PAL North America

J-PAL North America believes policy decisions should be informed and driven by rigorous research. What does the evidence tell us about Medicaid effectiveness? In the first one-to-two years: ??Medicaid increased the use of health care services. It increased hospital admissions, emergency department visits, outpatient visits, prescription drug use, and use of preventive care, such as mammograms and cholesterol screenings. ?? Medicaid reduced depression rates and improved self-reported health, but had no measurable effect on physical health. Physical health measures included blood pressure, cholesterol, and glycated hemoglobin. ?? Medicaid decreased financial strain. It reduced medical debts sent to collection agencies, lowered the likelihood of borrowing money or skipping other bill payments to cover medical expenses, and virtually eliminated catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenditures. It had no measurable effect on employment or earnings. ?? In the very short term, expanded Medicaid eligibility for adults increased Medicaid enrollment of their already-eligible children. These effects dissipated over the two-year study period. ??? In the very short term, Medicaid increased voter turnout. These effects dissipated over the two-year study period. Learn more ?? https://lnkd.in/dSNJCF7J

?? State and local governments are currently enacting a broad range of policies and programs to support the transition to a low-carbon economy. But how do we know which approaches are most effective, and for whom? Join J-PAL North America for our upcoming Climate Action Learning Lab informational webinar showcasing research insights and opportunities in residential energy efficiency. On this webinar, we will will discuss findings from randomized evaluations of the Weatherization Assistance Program in Illinois and share insights on forming successful researcher-government partnerships and utilizing evidence to inform programming. We will also provide information about J-PAL North America's new Climate Action Learning Lab, which is convening a dedicated cohort of US state and local government leaders to test the effectiveness of promising climate mitigation programs and policies. Webinar Panelists: Peter Christensen (University of California, Santa Cruz) Paul Francisco Champaign Paul Francisco (Champaign County Regional Planning Commission) Erica Myers (University of Calgary) ?? Event Details: Date: Thursday, March 6, 2025 Time: 1-2pm ET ?? Reserve Your Spot Now: https://lnkd.in/dmjX_VBh

In this month's newsletter, we announce J-PAL North America’s new Initiative for Effective US Crime Policy and share new research results from the field.

?? Calling state and local climate leaders ?? As innovative policies for a low-carbon future are rolled out across the country, how do we know which approaches are achieving their intended impact? J-PAL North America is launching a new Climate Action Learning Lab to provide state and local climate leaders with free and customizable trainings, strategy sessions, peer learning opportunities, and connections to researchers. Join us to strengthen your long-term capacity to leverage data and evaluation to advance solutions that work! We are offering two Climate Action Learning Lab informational webinars to showcase the opportunity: ?? Advancing transportation decarbonization - February 27 | 3-4 pm ET ?? Advancing residential energy efficiency - March 6 | 1-2 pm ET KEY DATES ?? Apply by March 31 ?? Participate in virtual sessions from May-July 2025 ?? Join our in-person summit in Cambridge, MA on July 23, 2025 ?? Match with researchers in the J-PAL network to apply for up to $400,000 in evaluation funding beginning October 2025 LEARN MORE ?? j-p.al/lvw

To engage new audiences with rigorous evidence and opportunities for evidence generation, we're expanding our reach by joining Bluesky Social—you can find us at https://lnkd.in/dQndZtQ7. Hope to see you there!

Join me this Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 3:00 pm ET / 12:00 pm PT for the latest installment of Evidence Matters, hosted by King County, WA, The Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at Notre Dame (LEO), and J-PAL North America. In this engaging webinar,?Opportunity Insights?will present key findings on economic mobility and introduce their innovative data tool, the?Opportunity Atlas, that shows how opportunity varies across United States and how it is changing in recent years. Partners in King County will share how they are collaborating to build community power and drive community-led solutions. ? You will come away having learned how to access economic mobility data specific to your area and be inspired by how local governments and community partners can harness this data to foster opportunity. ? Don't miss this chance to learn, connect, and take action toward a more equitable future! ?? https://lnkd.in/gCaxtNMX

As cash transfer programs gain popularity in the United States, numerous studies have been launched to better understand these programs and how they impact people’s lives—including how they impact health outcomes. Understanding studies on cash transfers, and the connections between them, is key to building a nuanced understanding of the effects unconditional cash transfers can have on health. On March 18 from 3:30-5pm ET, J-PAL North America is hosting a discussion on the recent evidence evaluating the effects of cash transfers on health. Our presenters will share connections between 3 RCTs and how policymakers can apply insights to their own contexts. Learn more and register today! https://lnkd.in/d9rhcWNy

Register today for our Climate Action Learning Lab informational webinar featuring existing evidence and research opportunities in transportation decarbonization. Join us for a discussion on how data and rigorous evaluation can be leveraged to build the evidence base on climate mitigation and scale solutions that work. Speakers will share insights from the existing evidence base, discuss completed and ongoing randomized evaluations of programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled, and discuss how strong researcher-government partnerships can be cultivated. We will also provide information about J-PAL North America's new Climate Action Learning Lab, which is convening a dedicated cohort of state and local leaders to test the effectiveness of promising climate mitigation programs and policies. Webinar Panelists: Krute Singa (Metropolitan Transportation Commission) Casey Wichman (Georgia Institute of Technology) ?? Event Details: Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025 Time: 3-4 pm ET ?? Reserve Your Spot Now: https://lnkd.in/dtyCxvY2

??Upcoming webinar! On Feb 19 at 3:00pm ET the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at Notre Dame will be hosting the next webinar in their Evidence Matters Series. The session will feature a presentation from Opportunity Insights on key findings on economic mobility and how government leaders and community partners can use data to foster economic opportunity. Discussion partners include J-PAL North America's Co-Executive Director Vincent Quan, Carrie S. Cihak (King County, WA), David Forte (Opportunity Insights), Elsa Batres-Boni (Communities of Opportunity), and Aaron G. (White Center Community Development Association). Register today for an insightful conversation! https://lnkd.in/ddygCUYh

Check out our recent blog post with Results for America featuring their Economic Mobility Catalog, a tool that helps public and private leaders scale effective policies. The Catalog features evidence-backed pathways to economic mobility via synthesized research, implementation best practices, and case studies: https://lnkd.in/dMDNCihA