Health insurance coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of Medicaid expansion.

Using data from the US Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, we analyzed the likelihood of loss of health insurance and enrollment into new health coverage during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Loss of employment was associated with a significant increase in the likelihood of loss of health insurance and, specifically, an increase in the likelihood of employer-sponsored health insurance. However, individuals in Medicaid expansion states experienced a lower likelihood of loss of health insurance compared with individuals in nonexpansion states.

Student Loan Decision Making: Experience as an Anchor.

The purpose of study is to examine the association between one's past borrowing experience and borrowing decisions in a hypothetical survey scenario. A total of 1928 responses from an online survey panel were analyzed, with a built-in anchoring question. Using the concept of anchoring bias as a reference point, survey participants were shown a hypothetical scenario regarding college attendance and asked two relevant questions: is it wise to attend college and how much student loans one should take out to attend college.