Jun Li

Assistant Professor, Public Administration & International Affairs, Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs Link

Faculty Associate, Aging Studies Institute
Faculty Affiliate, Center for Aging and Policy Studies

CAPS Biography:

My research uses econometric approaches and theories of health economics to inform how policy can best serve aging populations. My research focuses on the effects of health care policies on long-term care and quality of care for older adults. To date, I have published articles in high-impact journals, including Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Journal of Health Economics, Health Affairs, JAMA Network Open, and Medical Care. In addition, my research has been presented to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, covered by the media, and awarded honorable mentions by the National Academy of Social Insurance and Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. 

As a health economist, I focus on understanding the role of health services and health policies in shaping how aging adults maintain independence and remain in the community, which closely aligns with the signature CAPS theme, health and well-being. My research also fits within the CAPS cross-cutting themes of policy and specific populations, analyzing the effects of Medicare policies such as value-based purchasing, post-acute, and long-term care policy on specific populations, including racial-ethnic minorities, low-income Medicare-Medicaid dually eligible older adults, people with cognitive impairment and multi-comorbidities, and individuals residing in rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. My work has advanced knowledge on how health policies shape the aging experiences of disadvantaged groups. For example, I have examined the effects of the first year of Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model (HHVBP) on the quality of care, quantified the HHVBP incentives faced by home health care agencies, and determined whether the HHVBP program led to gaming behavior by home health agencies. In addition, I have examined multiple aspects of the home health care industry, including how the public provision of quality information affected where patients received care, whether quality of care star ratings for home health agencies were meaningful quality measures, and the pathways by which patients enter into and select home health care. My research has shed light on important, but poorly understood aspects of health and well-being for older people in the United States.