Pamela Herd, Georgetown University

Title: How Administrative Burdens Affect Health

Abstract: Administrative burdens are the onerous and frustrating experiences we have when interacting with the government, which have significant implications for how the state shapes inequality.  These burdens include learning costs, such as finding out whether one is eligible for a program; compliance costs, such as burdensome paperwork and documentation; and psychological costs, such as the stress and stigma that people feel when interacting with government programs.  While there is a growing body of research documenting how these burdens prevent access to social welfare programs, to date, we know relatively little about the downstream consequences of burdens on health. I present findings documenting how these burdens impact health, or more specifically how reducing them can improve health.