Stephanie Rennane

Economist; Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Off Site Office

Education

Ph.D. in economics, University of Maryland; M.A. in economics, University of Maryland; B.A. in economics, University of Michigan

One Page Bio

Overview

Stephanie Rennane (she/her) is an economist at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. As an applied microeconomist, her research interests fall at the intersection of labor and health economics and she has particular expertise in the area of disability policy and related health and social insurance programs. Currently, she is principal investigator on an R01 from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) to study the impact of Medicaid automatic enrollment for children on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on utilization outcomes for children with behavioral health care needs. She was also PI on another NIMHD-funded grant analyzing how SSI mitigates disparities in caregiver burden for low-SES and minority families of children with special health care needs. In addition to her work on children with disabilities, Dr. Rennane has conducted numerous studies of the labor and health impacts of disability programs including workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability Insurance. At RAND she has also worked on a variety of topics related to military compensation and the joint Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs disability evaluation system (IDES). She holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Michigan and an M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland.

Research Focus

Selected Publications

Stephanie Rennane and Andrew Dick, "Effects of Medicaid Automatic Enrollment on Disparities in Insurance Coverage and Caregiver Burden for Children with Special Health Care Needs," Medical Care Research and Review, 80(1), 2023

Naoki, Aizawa, Corina Mommaerts and Stephanie Rennane, "Explaining heterogeneity in use of non-wage benefits: The role of worker and firm characteristics in disability accommodations.," AEA Papers and Proceedings, 112, 2022

Stephanie Rennane, "A Double Safety Net? Understanding Interactions Between Disability Benefits, Formal Assistance, and Family Support," Journal of Health Economics, 69(1), 2020

Andrew Foote, Michel Grosz, and Stephanie Rennane, "The Effect of Lower Transaction Costs on Social Security Disability Insurance Application Rates and Participation," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 38(1), 2019

Nicole Maestas, Kathleen Mullen and Stephanie Rennane, "Unmet Need for Workplace Accommodation," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 38(4), 2019

Stephanie Rennane, Beth J. Asch, Michael G. Mattock, Heather Krull, Douglas Ligor, Michael Dworsky, Jonas Kempf, U.S. Department of Defense Disability Compensation Under a Fitness-for-Duty Evaluation Approach, RAND (RR- A1154-1), 2022

Michael Dworsky, Stephanie Rennane and Nicholas Broten, Earnings Losses and Benefit Adequacy in California's Workers' Compensation System: Estimates for 2005–2017 Injury Dates, RAND (RR- A964-1), 2022

Publications

Journal Article
Insurance Coverage During Transitions: Evidence from Medicaid Automatic Enrollment for Children Receiving Supplemental Security Income
We examine the relationship between SSI-Medicaid automatic enrollment and insurance coverage. Medicaid automatic enrollment policies are associated with increased insurance coverage for SSI children, particularly when transitioning into the program.
Nov 29, 2023
Commentary
Potential Changes to Veterans' Benefits Under the Major Richard Star Act: Veterans' Issues in Focus
The Major Richard Star Act would drop the “offset” that reduces retirement pay for some disabled veterans. If it is signed into law, what could change for veterans’ benefits, and how many veterans would see an increase in their compensation?
Aug 31, 2023
Report
Ensuring Parental Rights of Military Service Academy Cadets and Midshipmen: Policy and Cost Implications
This report characterizes legal, policy, practice, and cost implications of U.S. Department of Defense options to comply with a new congressional requirement allowing service academy cadets and midshipmen who become parents to retain parental rights.
Aug 22, 2023
Research Brief
Military Academy Students Can Now Retain Parental Rights: Department of Defense Options for Managing the Change
As of 2023, DoD allows enrolled cadets and midshipmen to retain parental rights. This brief explores potential DoD policy changes that could help cadet and midshipman parents care for their children, succeed in school, and become exemplary officers.
Aug 22, 2023
Research Brief
Food Insecurity in the U.S. Military: Responses to Eight Topics Raised by Congress
In response to a congressional query, RAND researchers examined the extent of food insecurity among military service members, their participation in food assistance programs, and the advisability of a basic needs allowance.
Jan 3, 2023
Report
Food Insecurity Among Members of the Armed Forces and Their Dependents
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 directed the Secretary of Defense to report on food insecurity among service members and their dependents. RAND researchers examined this directive and recommended other topics for analysis.
Jan 3, 2023
Journal Article
Explaining Heterogeneity in Use of Non-wage Benefits: The Role of Worker and Firm Characteristics in Disability Accommodations
Using administrative data in Oregon, we document significant dispersion in accommodation rates across workers and firms. We decompose the variance in accommodation use, finding that firm characteristics explain 29% of this variance.
Aug 24, 2022
Journal Article
Effects of Medicaid Automatic Enrollment on Disparities in Insurance Coverage and Caregiver Burden for Children with Special Health Care Needs
We analyze how Medicaid automatic enrollment policies for children with special health care needs who are enrolled in Supplemental Security Income reduce disparities in health insurance coverage and caregiving burden.
Aug 23, 2022
Journal Article
Leak or Link? the Overrepresentation of Women in Non-Tenure-Track Academic Positions in STEM
This paper examines gender variation in departures from the tenure-track science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) academic career pathway to non-tenure-track academic careers.
Jul 7, 2022
Report
Physical Fitness Standards to Support Readiness and Deployability: An Examination of Department of the Air Force Policies and Culture
Through analyses involving the Air Force's Tier 1 fitness assessment (FA), the authors examine whether FA components meet their intended purpose to minimize health risks and maximize readiness of airmen.
May 2, 2022
Research Brief
Fit for Duty: Alternative Approaches for Determining Department of Defense Disability Compensation
RAND researchers evaluated four hypothetical alternative U.S. Department of Defense disability compensation approaches that would support a simpler disability evaluation process by reducing reliance on disability ratings.
Feb 9, 2022
Report
Recouping Separation Pay from U.S. Service Members and Veterans Who Later Receive Veterans Affairs Disability Compensation
The authors study how many service members and veterans experience recoupment -- or withholding -- of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs compensation due to receipt of military separation pay and how much more money they would receive but for recoupment.
Feb 7, 2022
Report
Earnings Losses and Benefit Adequacy in California's Workers' Compensation System: Estimates for 2005–2017 Injury Dates
This final report in a series is part of an effort to monitor wage losses of injured workers in the California workers' compensation system between 2013 and 2017. It updates estimates of trends in earnings losses reported in the interim reports.
Feb 3, 2022
Report
U.S. Department of Defense Disability Compensation Under a Fitness-for-Duty Evaluation Approach
In this report, the authors evaluate four hypothetical alternative U.S. Department of Defense disability compensation approaches that would support a simpler disability evaluation process by reducing reliance on disability ratings.
Jan 28, 2022
Journal Article
Estimated Savings from International Reference Pricing for Prescription Drugs
International reference pricing would have lowered 2020 US spending on select prescription drugs by 52% ($83.5 billion).
Dec 9, 2021
Journal Article
Absenteeism and Presenteeism Among American Workers
We analyze the relationship between absences, presenteeism, and work outcomes using data from the American Working Conditions Survey.
Aug 10, 2021
Report
Independent Evaluation of the New York State 1115 Waiver Amendment: The Children's Design: Interim Findings
The authors evaluate efforts to streamline health care for children and youth in the New York State Medicaid program who have needs for home- and community-based services through the recently implemented Children's Design.
Aug 6, 2021
Research Brief
Post 9/11 Trends in Medical Separation and Separation for Service Members with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury
Trends in military medical discharges and disability ratings can help the U.S. Department of Defense set goals for diagnosing, treating, and evaluating service members with posttraumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury.
May 10, 2021
Report
Trends in Department of Defense Disability Evaluation System Ratings and Awards for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury, 2002–2017
The authors conduct an empirical analysis of trends in diagnosis, treatment, and disability evaluation for posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury among military service members between 2002 and 2017.
May 10, 2021
Journal Article
Estimating the Cost of Industry Investment in Drug Research and Development: A Review of Methods and Results
We review and synthesize papers estimating drug R&D costs incurred by industry. We find a substantial range of per-drug costs, from $113 million–$6 billion. We discuss the data sources, methods, and assumptions used in each study and suggest areas for future research and data collection.
2021
Journal Article
A Double Safety Net? Understanding Interactions Between Disability Benefits, Formal Assistance, and Family Support
This work brings together perspectives on household adjustments in response to a major health shock in the U.S. It concludes that the family plays a key role in insuring against health shocks, and that informal and formal assistance are imperfect substitutes for one another.
Feb 7, 2020
Report
Wage Loss Monitoring for Injured Workers in California's Workers' Compensation System: 2016–2017 Injury Year Findings (Third Interim Report)
The authors present new estimates of wage loss for California's injured workers in 2016-2017 and compare these estimates with trends before, during, and after the Great Recession.
Feb 5, 2020
Report
Who Settles in Workers' Compensation? An Analysis of How Trends in Claim Settlements Relate to Workers' Compensation Benefit Changes in Oregon
The authors explore how the expected value of workers' compensation benefits affects the likelihood of a settlement. They review the settlement process and analyze the relationship using a policy change to permanent disability benefits in Oregon.
Dec 23, 2019
Journal Article
Functional Limitations and Employment Among Disability Benefit Recipients with Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Mediation Analysis
This paper uses the National Beneficiary Survey to study the relationship between functional limitations, health conditions and employment among disability beneficiaries with musculoskeletal conditions in a multivariate mediation analysis.
Feb 19, 2019
Journal Article
Unmet Need for Workplace Accommodation
The ways in which workplace accommodation is measured in national surveys have implications for identifying accommodation-sensitive individuals (those on the margin of working or not, depending on whether they are accommodated), and estimating unmet need for accommodation.
2019
Report
Wage Loss Monitoring for Injured Workers in California's Workers' Compensation System: 2014–2015 Injury Year Findings (Second Interim Report)
This report presents new estimates of wage loss for workers in California who suffered a workplace injury or illness in 2014-2015 and compares these estimates with trends before, during, and after the Great Recession.
Dec 27, 2018
Report
Wage Loss Monitoring for Injured Workers in California's Workers' Compensation System: 2013 Injury Year Findings (First Interim Report)
This report presents new estimates of wage loss for workers in California who suffered a workplace injury or illness in 2013 and compares these estimates with trends before, during, and after the Great Recession.
Aug 31, 2018
Report
Evaluation of the Return-to-Work Fund in California's Workers' Compensation System: Performance to Date and Options for Modification
California's Return-to-Work Supplement Program provides a $5,000 payment to some workers who cannot return to work after a permanently disabling workplace injury. RAND researchers evaluated program performance and identified options for improvement.
Jun 20, 2018
Draft
The Effect of Lower Transaction Costs on SSDI Application Rates and Participation
Analyzes how Social Security Disability Insurance application behavior was affected by iClaim, a 2009 innovation that streamlined the online application process.
Jun 18, 2018
Draft
Buying Time: The Insurance Value and Distortionary Effects of Workers' Compensation
Examines the roles of moral hazard and increased liquidity in explaining the relationship between Workers' Compensation benefit levels and injury duration.
Feb 2, 2018
Journal Article
The Effect of Lower Transaction Costs on Social Security Disability Insurance Application Rates and Participation
We compare Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) application rates across counties with varying degrees of access to high-speed internet beforehand after iClaim, a 2009 innovation that streamlined the online application process.
2018