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Survey Data Season Essentials: What Are Prior Authorizations, Referrals, and Essential Health Benefits? Reviewing Common Health Insurance Terminology Part 2

This post is a part of our Survey Data Season series where we examine data from various surveys that are released annually from the summer through early fall. Find all of the Survey Data Season series posts on our Survey Data Season 2026 page here.   … Read More

New Research in ‘Medical Care Research and Review’ Finds Coverage Gaps Persisted Despite Historic Coverage Gains, and People Who Experienced Gaps Were Less Likely to Access Needed Health Care

In the U.S., people access health insurance coverage through many different pathways, which depends on age, employment status, and income, as well as pregnancy and disability status.  Non-elderly adults aged 18–64, a group that makes up just over 60% of the… Read More

SHVS Regulatory Analysis: Reviewing Recent Proposed Changes to Census Data; Comment Period Open Through November 2, 2026

While the federal data landscape has been undergoing rapid change over the last couple of years, two new developments have introduced even more change to the already shifting landscape: A new proposed rule that would substantially change census residence criteria and demographic data… Read More

Looking Back at SHADAC/CHCF Publications as the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) Celebrates ‘30 Years of Impact’

2026 marks the 30th year of the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), what they call their “30 Years of Impact.” CHCF’s work to understand and improve health care for Californians across the state has spanned numerous key topics in health policy and public health, including Medi-Cal policy,… Read More

CPS ASEC: 2025 National Health Insurance Coverage Rates Held Largely Steady

This post is a part of our Survey Data Season series where we examine data from various surveys that are released annually from the summer through early fall. Find all of the Survey Data Season series posts on our Survey Data Season 2026 page here.   … Read More

2024 Overdose Deaths ISSUE BRIEF—U.S. Overdose Death Rate Dropped Nearly 30% in Two Years, Driven Largely by Decline in Fentanyl Fatalities

SHADAC has been monitoring trends in the drug overdose and opioid crisis for 10 years; in this new brief, our experts analyze 2024 overdose deaths data, obtained through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) WONDER database, calculating drug… Read More

Konadu-Acheampong, MPH

Stephanie Konadu-Acheampong, MPH joined SHADAC in 2026 as a Data Research Fellow with over eight years of research experience and over six years of experience in the field of public health. At SHADAC, she is responsible for data analysis, monitoring, and management, as well as translating complex… Read More

Rising Health Insurance Costs: Family Employer-Sponsored Insurance (ESI) Premiums Grow at Over Twice the Rate Seen Last Year

This post is a part of our Survey Data Season series where we examine data from various surveys that are released annually from the summer through early fall. Find all of the Survey Data Season series posts on our Survey Data Season 2026 page here.   … Read More

Survey Data Season 2026

Beginning in June and going through September, data from many major federal surveys—including the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the Current… Read More

Despite Declining Rates of Fatal Drug Overdoses, Inequities Persist Among Demographic Subgroups and By Drug Type Into 2024

Despite Declining Rates of Fatal Drug Overdoses, Inequities Persist Among Demographic Subgroups and By Drug Type Into 2024New Data by Education Show Disproportionate Burden on People With a High School Diploma or Less, Consistently Across All Types of DrugsSince their rapid ascent and tragic peak… Read More

More Than 40 States Recorded Declines in 2024 Fatal Drug Overdoses Since Deaths Peaked in 2022

More Than 40 States Recorded Declines in 2024 Fatal Drug Overdoses Since Deaths Peaked in 2022Drop in Overdose Death Rates Was Driven Largely by Ebbing Fentanyl Deaths; Fewer States Saw Declines in Cocaine and Methamphetamine DeathsSince their rapid ascent and tragic peak during the COVID-19… Read More

U.S. Overdose Death Rate Dropped Nearly 30% in Two Years, Driven Largely by Decline in Fentanyl Fatalities

U.S. Overdose Death Rate Dropped Nearly 30% in Two Years, Driven Largely by Decline in Fentanyl FatalitiesCocaine and Methamphetamine Account for a Growing Share of Drug Overdose DeathsSince their rapid ascent and tragic peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. drug overdose deaths have dropped… Read More

More Minnesotans Are Worried About Losing Health Insurance Coverage

The latest Minnesota Health Access Survey (MNHA) shows that 12.3% of insured Minnesotans are worried about losing health insurance coverage in 2025, a statistically significant increase from 7.7% in 2023. The uninsured rate also rose in 2025 for the first time since 2017, reaching 5.8% after an all… Read More

What Is Chronic Disease? Exploring Chronic Disease Definitions and Prevalence in the United States Using State Health Compare

Basics BlogSHADAC has created a series of “Basics Blogs” to familiarize readers with common terms, concepts, and topics that are frequently covered. See all Basics Blogs here.    Following advancements in public health and medicine that reduced… Read More

Discrimination in Health Care Impacts Almost Half of Minnesotans, According to Findings from 2024 Minnesota Healthcare Experiences Survey

A recent survey conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) at the University of Minnesota found that almost half of Minnesotans have experienced health care discrimination. The 2024 Minnesota Healthcare Experiences Survey… Read More

Davern

Erin Davern joined SHADAC in 2026 and is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering. She is interested in health care policy research and data analysis.Outside of work, she enjoys all sorts of… Read More

Significance Testing Using State Health Compare

Originally published December 2016.Updated July 2026 by SHADAC Research Assistant Zoë Pringle.This technical brief provides guidance on how to run tests for statistically significant differences using estimates and their associated margins of error from SHADAC’s… Read More

H.R.1 Medicaid Implementation: An Administrative Cost Monitoring Guide for States (SHVS Cross-Post)

The following is cross-posted from State Health & Value Strategies.  Authors: Emily Zylla and Elizabeth Lukanen, SHADACOriginal posting date July 6, 2026. Find the full post here on the SHVS website. Passed in July 2025, H.R. 1 dictates several large… Read More

How Does the U.S. Measure Child Vaccinations? A Look at the National Immunization Survey (NIS)—with New 2024 Data

The National Immunization Survey (NIS) is a vital resource for understanding child and adolescent vaccination coverage rates in the U.S., as well as perceptions of vaccines and potential reasons for vaccine hesitancy. The NIS is actually a group of surveys that are conducted in a partnership… Read More

Using Census Data via the Minnesota Community and Uninsured Profile to Spot Vulnerabilities

With funding from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) recently released an updated version of the Minnesota Community and Uninsured Profile tool. This tool, available for download here, now includes the most up-to-date data… Read More