Summaries of Independent Scientist (K) Awards

Lo Sasso, Anthony

Institution: University of Illinois at Chicago (previously Northwestern University)
Grant Title: Workplace Health Benefits and Employee Health
Grant Number:  K02 HS11294
Duration: 5 years (2000-2005)
Total Award: $360,147

Project Description: This study examined employer provided health benefits.  The project had three main goals:

1. To explore the interaction between local health care market factors, particularly the local health care safety net, and the employer's decision to offer health insurance and the employee's subsequent decision to accept insurance when it is offered.
2. To examine the firm behavior with respect to the provision of health care benefits at a national level by specifically looking at responsible health care purchasing behavior by firms.
3. To extend ongoing collaborative relationships to examine several specific disease areas and conditions that employers may affect, such as mental illness, substance abuse, and leave policies to care for elderly parents.

Career Goals: Dr. LoSasso is an Associate Professor and Senior Research Scientist in the Division of Health Policy and Administration in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  He received his Ph.D. in economics from Indiana University in Bloomington where he studied health and labor economics as well as applied econometrics.

Progress to Date: This grant has been completed.  A highlight of research results are described in Dr. LoSasso's publications listed below.

Highlights and Specific Accomplishments:

• 2005 AcademyHealth Article of the Year Award, for "The Effect of the State Children's Health Insurance Program on Health Insurance Coverage," Journal of Health Economics 2004. 23:1059-82.
• Named permanent (3-year) member of National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Mental Health Services study section, beginning October 2005.
• Editorial Board member, Medical Care Research and Review
• Recent recipient of four grants focusing on:
  1. The Effect of State Policies on the Market for Private Non-Group Health Insurance.
  2. Immigrants and Employer-Provided Health Insurance.
  3. Workplace Mental Health Benefits & Selective Contracting.
  4. The Safety Net and Employer-Provided Health Insurance

K-Generated Publications (selected):

 Lindrooth RC, LoSasso AT, Lurie IZ. The effects of expanded mental health eenefits on treatment initiation and specialist utilization. Health Services Research 2005. Aug;40(4):1092-107.

Rost K, Pyne JM, Dickinson LM, LoSasso AT. The cost effectiveness of enhancing primary care depression management on an ongoing basis. Annals of Family Medicine 2005. 3(1):7-14.

Alexander A, Dranove D, Emanuel L, LoSasso AT.  The price of palliative care: Towards a complete accounting of costs and benefits.  Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 2005. 21:147-63.

LoSasso AT, Lindrooth RC, Lurie IZ. The role of gender in a company-wide effort to expand and destigmatize mental health treatment. In Dave E. Marcotte and Virginia Wilcox-Gök eds., Research in Human Capital and Development Volume 15: The Economics of Gender and Mental Illness, Elsevier Science Press, 2004.

Dobrez DG, LoSasso AT, Heinemann A. The effects of prospective payment on rehabilitative care.  Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2004. 85:1909-14.

 LoSasso AT, Buchmueller TC. The effect of the state children's health insurance program on health insurance coverage.  Journal of Health Economics 2004. 23:1059-82.

Johnson RW, LoSasso AT.  Family support of the elderly and female labor supply: Tradeoffs among caregiving, financial transfers, and work. In Sarah Harper, ed., The Family in an Ageing Society, Oxford University Press, 2004, 114-142.

LoSasso AT, Rice T, Gabel J, Whitmore H. Tales from the new frontier: Pioneers' experiences with consumer-driven health care. Health Services Research 2004. 39(4, part 2):1071-89.

Gabel JR, Whitmore H, Rice T, LoSasso AT. Employers' contradictory views on consumer driven health care: Results from a national survey.  Health Affairs 2004, April 21.

LoSasso AT, Lyons JS.  The sensitivity of substance abuse treatment intensity to copayment levels.  Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 2004. 31(1):50-65.

Lindrooth RC, LoSasso AT, Bazzoli GJ. The effect of urban hospital closure on markets.  Journal of Health Economics September 2003. 22(5):691-712.

Gable J, LoSasso AT, Rice T. Consumer-choice plans: Are they more than talk now? Health Affairs 2002, November 20.

LoSasso AT, Johnson RW. Does informal care reduce nursing home admissions for the frail elderly? Inquiry 2002. 39(3):279-97.

LoSasso AT,  Lyons JS. The effect of copayments on substance use treatment expenditures and treatment reoccurrence.  Psychiatric Services 2002. 53(12):1605-11.

Sheffield RE, LoSasso AT, Young CH, Way K. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor usage patterns as risk factors for hospitalization.  Administration and Policy in Mental Health 2002. 30(2):121-39.

 Bazzoli GJ, LoSasso AT, Arnould R, Shalowitz M. Hospital reorganization and restructuring achieved through merger.  Health Care Management Review 2002. 27(1):7-20.

Dobrez DG, LoSasso AT, Holl J, et al. Estimating the cost of developmental services provided in general pediatric practice. Pediatrics 2001. 108(4):913-22.

Tai-Seale M, LoSasso AT, Freund DA, Gerber SE. Long term effects of Medicaid managed care on obstetric care in California. Health Services Research  2001. 36(4):751-71.

Davidoff A, LoSasso AT, Bazzoli GJ, Zuckerman S . Impact of state policy on provision of hospital uncompensated care, 1990-1995.  Inquiry 2000;37(3):253-67.

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