Christopher Scannell
Affiliation: LA Area Health Services Research Post-Doctoral Training Program (joint collaboration through UCLA, USC, RAND, and the VA). I am primarily affiliated with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and the USC Schaeffer Center based on my current research mentors.
Research areas: Prescription Drug Pricing, Health Insurance Benefit Design, Financial Burden, Healthcare Reform
Mentor: Dr. Alice Chen
Term: 2022 – 2024
Overview: Patients with serious chronic conditions face higher out-of-pocket health expenditures than the general population. These expenditures may be compounded by a lack of health insurance or being underinsured and the need for specialized forms of treatment. My primary research interest is focused on quantifying drivers of financial burden in patients with chronic disease, such as those with cancer and enrolled in high-deductible health plans or using specialty medications. My secondary interest is assessing healthcare system and policy-level interventions that may reduce out-of-pocket costs and the risk for catastrophic health expenditures among this vulnerable patient population.