Paul Shafer
Profiles

Paul Shafer, PhD

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

(617) 358-2961
pshafer@bu.edu
Talbot
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Biography

Paul Shafer is an associate professor of health law, policy, and management and co-director of the Medicaid Policy Lab at the Boston University School of Public Health. His research focuses on how health insurance and social safety net policies affect health and equity. As a health economist, he is passionate about generating rigorous, timely, and policy-relevant evidence to ease administrative burdens, reduce economic deprivation, and improve health. He is also an investigator with the Partnered Evidence-Based Policy Resource Center at the VA Boston Healthcare System where he leads evaluations of policy and delivery innovations aimed at improving veterans’ access to care and health.

He is an associate editor of Health Affairs Scholar and an editorial board member for Health Services Research and the Journal of Healthcare Finance. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Commonwealth Fund, and Arnold Ventures among others. His work has been cited by former President Biden, White House, Congress, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Surgeon General, US Preventive Services Task Force, and National Academies along with major news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, CNN, NBC News, and The Atlantic.

He teaches graduate courses in health policy and econometrics and has been recognized with teaching awards at Boston University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Previously, he served as a research economist at RTI International, junior fellow at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and research fellow at the Office of Personnel Management. He holds a BA and PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Education

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, PhD
  • University of North Carolina at Greensboro, MA

Websites

Classes Taught

  • SPHPM807
  • SPHPM822
  • SPHPM844

Publications

  • Published on 10/17/2026

    Ashley AJ, White JS, Ross JC, Shafer PR. Comparing the Impact of Cigarette Excise Taxes of Varying Size on Cigarette Sales and Prices in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Nicotine Tob Res. 2026 Oct 17. PMID: 42891648.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 10/17/2026

    Huberfeld N, Shafer PR. Community Engagement Requirements in Medicaid - Law as a Determinant of Health. N Engl J Med. 2026 Oct 17. PMID: 42895221.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 9/4/2026

    McCann NC, Hsu HE, Ettinger de Cuba S, Frank J, Lange P, Stein MD, Shafer PR. Medicaid waiver-based housing supports in a safety-net setting: utilization and spending outcomes. Health Aff Sch. 2026 Sep; 4(9):qxag244. PMID: 42761822.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 9/1/2026

    Shafer PR, Gertner AK, Aswani MS. Use, Modality, and Reimbursement Patterns of Outpatient Psychotherapy Among Children With Commercial Insurance. JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Sep 01; 9(9):e2634132. PMID: 42747856.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 9/1/2026

    Khazanchi R, Schiff DM, Egan E, Preer G, Shafer PR, Austad K, Barber CM, Elansary M, Selcer R, Green KA, Okopie T, Modest AM, Wachman EM, Hsu HE. Discretionary Child Protective Services Reporting for Infants With Prenatal Opioid Exposure. Pediatrics. 2026 Sep 01; 158(3). PMID: 42586564.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 8/7/2026

    Shafer PR, Callaghan TH, Anderson DM. Medicaid Work-Reporting Requirements Under HR 1 and Insufficient or Inconsistent Work Hours. JAMA Health Forum. 2026 Aug 07; 7(8):e262938. PMID: 42663998.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 7/6/2026

    Figueroa JF, Adler L, Feldman WB, Feyman Y, Haeder SF, Holmgren AJ, Ippolito B, Marshall DA, Shafer PR, Phillips KA. Ten high-priority areas for health policy research in 2026-2027. Health Aff Sch. 2026 Jul; 4(7):qxag154. PMID: 42440703.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 5/29/2026

    Biondi BE, Shafer PR, Epstein RL, Stein MD, Daw JR, Gordon SH. Association of Continuous Medicaid Eligibility With Postpartum Coverage and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment. Am J Prev Med. 2026 Sep; 71(3):108392. PMID: 42213013.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 5/21/2026

    Anderson DM, Shafer PR. Monthly out-of-pocket caps substantially increase actuarial value for high-deductible health plans: a simulation study. Health Aff Sch. 2026 Jun; 4(6):qxag122. PMID: 42253879.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 5/13/2026

    Austin AE, Shafer PR, Naumann RB, Ettinger de Cuba S. Association of SNAP emergency allotment expiration with food insufficiency among households with children and adults recently out of work. Child and Youth Services Review. 2026; 186:109044.

     Read At: Custom

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