Austin B. Frakt | Lightnews

Light up
your news

About Privacy Terms Help

Austin Frakt

Austin Frakt

@afrakt.bsky.social

180 followers 12 following 14 posts

Health Economist and Editor in Chief with expertise in health economics and policy analysis

Economics 48%

Public Health 27%

more

Posts Replies Media Videos

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · May 2

Media wish: stop describing such things as attacks on institutions, which need no food, shelter, medical care, etc. and have no capacity to suffer. These are attacks on *PEOPLE* (workers). (Aside: the time-honored way to change policy and minimize suffering is to do it slowly, with advanced notice.)

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Apr 28

"The core strategy Republicans seem to be employing is to slow NIH spending as much as possible to generate budget surpluses, and then use those surpluses as justification for slashing the NIH budget." donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nih-bu...

The NIH budget is on a fast track to disaster

An NIH insider explains what Republicans are likely to do next, and what we can do

donmoynihan.substack.com

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Apr 23

A big difference is that the market of which we speak is not one in which the average American participates (e.g., grants and papers vs gasoline and groceries). We are, therefore, easily characterized as in an out-of-touch bubble, whether warranted or not (same for billionaires, by the way).

Reposted by Austin B. Frakt

a socialist psychiatrist @socialistpsych.bsky.social · Apr 11

Study after study shows that Medicaid work requirements don't increase employment but do decrease insurance rates. GOP knows this. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

<em>Health Services Research</em> | AcademyHealth & HRET Journal | Wiley Online Library

Objective We examine the health insurance coverage and employment effects of an Arkansas Medicaid waiver establishing work requirements for adults with Medicaid. Study Setting and Design Using 201...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Apr 2

Keep an eye on Fed Reserve and BLS data. Logical next targets if you wanted to invent your own "reality" (as the economy tanks). I'm sure there are other data sources I haven't thought of, but watch those too.

Reposted by Adam Sacarny

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Apr 2

I predict clamp downs on all data access. For researchers that remain employed, consider data from health systems and other creative approaches (e.g., using Google/AI queries). Also, maybe some states/entitles will collaborate to cobble some things together.

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Apr 2

ChatGPT, so grain of salt.

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Apr 2

For my friends not in health policy land (with other jobs and busy lives) who want to know: Where's the list of non-jargon, non-belabored, easy-to-digest ways what is happening will affect them? (Yes, I am asking for my friends! I don't have time to explain it to everyone.)

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Apr 2

Add AI to the massive disruptors.

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Apr 1

Think of it this way: One day we'll be VERY excited that fire has been provided, having long forgotten that our stoves and ovens, and that which fuels them, were smashed.

Reposted by Bianca K. Frogner

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Apr 1

A compassionate space for federal government workers. Details at the link: www.linkedin.com/posts/afrakt...

*** Compassionate Space For Federal Government Workers *** I've… | Austin Frakt

*** Compassionate Space For Federal Government Workers *** I've developed the following free, online offering with a professional therapist, who will…

www.linkedin.com

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Apr 1

Thank you for naming why I went fetal for some time today. Actually, doing that with enough frequency that it's become a core workout.

Reposted by Bianca K. Frogner

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Mar 29

Superb articulation of the value of VA research. Proud that it cites work by me and colleagues. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Veterans Affairs Research Under Threat

This Viewpoint discusses the critical importance of continued funding for the intramural research program in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

jamanetwork.com

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Mar 26

Social Security, a BFD. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=... (Over half the sample had savings below $5000)

Austin Frakt @afrakt.bsky.social · Mar 23

“'I’m ready to walk away if it comes to it,' she wrote to her manager... 'I get it,' the manager replied. 'Many of us are ready to walk away.'”
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/22/u...

Trump and DOGE Propel V.A. Mental Health System Into Turmoil

A chaotic restructuring order threatens to degrade services for veterans of wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

www.nytimes.com