Megan Cole Brahim
Profiles

Megan B. Cole Brahim, PhD

Assistant Professor, Health Law, Policy & Management - Boston University School of Public Health

(617) 358-1901
mbcole@bu.edu
Talbot
View Full Profile at BUMC

Biography

Dr. Cole is a Peter Paul Professor in the Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management and co-director of the BU Medicaid Policy Lab. She is a health services researcher whose work uses econometric methods to study the effects of Medicaid policy and care delivery models on Medicaid and other low-income, safety-net populations, especially those served by federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). She is particularly interested in how state- and federal-level health policy affects insurance coverage, quality of care, access to care, and racial equity of care for these populations. Most of this work leverages large datasets, including national Medicaid claims data; All Payer Claims Data; Electronic Health Record data; and national and statewide patient survey data.

Recent and ongoing work includes: Examining the impact of Medicaid expansion on coverage, quality of care, access to care, and equity within low-income populations, especially those served by community health centers; Understanding organizational and policy drivers of quality, access, and equity within community health centers and other safety-net providers; Evaluating how Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) affect quality of care and address social needs; Understanding the role of under-insurance (e.g., high deductible health plans) in access to care for low-income, racial/ethnic minority, and other marginalized populations; Evaluating the impact of integrating behavioral health into pediatric primary care among Medicaid-enrolled children at community health centers; and Evaluating how rapid adoption of telehealth across FQHCs during COVID-19 may mitigate, or exacerbate, disparities in quality of care among Medicaid-enrollees served by FQHCs.

Dr. Cole completed her PhD in Health Services Research at Brown University School of Public Health and received an MPH in Health Policy from Yale University School of Public Health. She previously worked in research consulting, where she worked with state and federal agencies on issues relating to Medicaid policy and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Her work has been covered by outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, Vox, US News & World Report, and Forbes.

Education

  • Brown University, PhD Field of Study: Health Services Research
  • Yale University, MPH Field of Study: Health Administration
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst, BS Field of Study: Public Health

Websites

Classes Taught

  • SPHPM820
  • SPHPM932

Publications

  • Published on 6/4/2022

    Skinner A, Flannery K, Nocka K, Bor J, Dean LT, Jay J, Lipson SK, Cole MB, Benfer EA, Scheckman R, Raderman W, Jones DK, Raifman J. A database of US state policies to mitigate COVID-19 and its economic consequences. BMC Public Health. 2022 Jun 04; 22(1):1124. PMID: 35659285.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 4/1/2022

    Ellison J, Cole MB, Thompson TA. Association of Telehealth Reimbursement Parity With Contraceptive Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Apr 01; 5(4):e226732. PMID: 35404462.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 3/14/2022

    Lin MY, Kim J, Sheldrick RC, Bair-Merritt MH, Durham MP, Feinberg E, Cole MB. Five-Year Trends in Pediatric Mental Health Emergency Department Visits in Massachusetts: A Population-Based Cohort Study. J Pediatr. 2022 Mar 14. PMID: 35301021.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 3/1/2022

    Sheldrick RC, Carter AS, Eisenhower A, Mackie TI, Cole MB, Hoch N, Brunt S, Pedraza FM. Effectiveness of Screening in Early Intervention Settings to Improve Diagnosis of Autism and Reduce Health Disparities. JAMA Pediatr. 2022 Mar 01; 176(3):262-269. PMID: 34982099.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 2/8/2022

    Cole MB, Nguyen KH, Byhoff E, Murray GF. Screening for Social Risk at Federally Qualified Health Centers: A National Study. Am J Prev Med. 2022 May; 62(5):670-678. PMID: 35459451.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 2/6/2022

    Cole MB, Nguyen KH, Byhoff E, Murray G. Screening for Social Risk Factors at Federally Qualified Health Centers: A National Study. Am J Prev Med. 2022.

     Read At: Custom
  • Published on 1/4/2022

    Cole MB, Raifman JR, Assoumou SA, Kim JH. Assessment of Administration and Receipt of COVID-19 Vaccines by Race and Ethnicity in US Federally Qualified Health Centers. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 01 04; 5(1):e2142698. PMID: 35006248.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 9/10/2021

    Cole MB, Kim JH, Levengood TW, Trivedi AN. Association of Medicaid Expansion With 5-Year Changes in Hypertension and Diabetes Outcomes at Federally Qualified Health Centers. JAMA Health Forum. 2021; 2(9):e212375.

     Read At: Custom
  • Published on 4/1/2021

    Ellison J, Cole MB, Hanchate AD, Kazis L, Lindsay S. Nonindicated pelvic examinations during contraceptive encounters: Prevalence and provider variations. Contraception. 2021; 103(4):239-245.
  • Published on 3/1/2021

    Nguyen KH, Trivedi AN, Cole MB. Receipt of Social Needs Assistance and Health Center Patient Experience of Care. Am J Prev Med. 2021; 60(3):e139-e147.

View 30 more publications:View Full Profile at BUMC

News & In the Media

View all profiles