Laura Dague, Ph.D., of the Bush School and Benjamin Ukert, Ph.D., of the School of Public Health studied the surge in Medicaid cases following the 2020 emergence of COVID-19
One of the nation’s most important economic documents is citing the work of two Texas A&M University public-policy researchers.
The 2025 Economic Report of the President references a study authored by Bush School associate professor Laura Dague, Ph.D., and School of Public Health colleague Benjamin Ukert, Ph.D., “Pandemic-Era Changes to Medicaid Enrollment and Funding: Implications for Future Policy and Research.” The study, published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, examines the COVID-19-related surge in enrollment for Medicaid, the joint federal-state program that helps cover medical costs for low-income Americans. Federal policy fueled that surge, according to Ukert and Dague. Their work is intended to help “inform future policy decisions and optimize safety net programs to be effective under a broad set of circumstances,” Dague said.
The Council of Economic Advisers prepares the Economic Report of the President annually. The report provides an overview of the nation’s economic progress and is “an important vehicle for presenting the Administration’s domestic and international policies,” according to the White House.
“I am so pleased to hear that the White House has been reading — and using — the high quality scholarship our faculty produces,” said Lori Taylor, Ph.D., head of the Bush School’s Department of Public Service and Administration. “Drs. Dague and Ukert are helping to shape the national conversation about Medicaid.”
