Author Archives: Damika Barr and Sophie Ranen

About Damika Barr and Sophie Ranen

Sophie Ranen is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in Health and Societies with a concentration in healthcare markets and finance. She is passionate about finding innovative approaches to the challenges facing the healthcare system. Most recently, she was a public policy intern at AmeriHealth Caritas where her work focused on the analysis of policies affecting Medicaid. In the fall of her junior year, Sophie traveled to India, South Africa, and Brazil where she studied local healthcare systems and public health initiatives, the impact of globalization on health, and medical anthropology. She also completed comparative research on the conceptualization, treatment, and stigma of mental illness. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of AmeriHealth Caritas.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Community Health Workers

According to the 2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, hospital inpatient expenses account for a large portion (nearly 30%) of total health care expenses and health care spending is highly concentrated among a relatively small proportion of individuals. The top 1% of spenders accounted for 21.5% of total expenditures while the lower 50% accounted for just… Read More »