Keynote to Address Medicaid Cuts and ACA Subsidy Expiration Impacting Workers’ Compensation

Waltham, MA, Dec. 17, 2025—The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced that Harvard health economist and physician Dr. Benjamin Sommers will deliver the keynote address on Day One of its 2026 WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 3–4 in Boston.

His keynote will examine the impact of Medicaid cuts and the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax subsidies on health care costs for employers and access to care for injured workers.

“Federal policy changes will have far-reaching effects on workers’ compensation systems, employers, and injured workers,” said Ramona Tanabe, WCRI president and CEO. “Dr. Sommers will help us understand these changes and what they mean for the future.”

Dr. Sommers is the Huntley Quelch Professor of Health Care Economics at the Harvard School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. A leading health economist and practicing primary care physician, he has published over 200 articles, earned numerous awards, and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2019. From 2021 to 2023, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

His work appears in leading journals such as NEJM, JAMA, and Health Affairs, and has been featured by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. Dr. Sommers earned both his Ph.D. in Health Policy and his M.D. from Harvard.

The WCRI Issues & Research Conference is a leading forum for workers’ compensation stakeholders, including insurers, employers, policymakers, labor advocates, and health care practitioners. Early registrants save $100 by signing up before February 4. Register now to learn more about the agenda and sponsorship opportunities.


ABOUT WCRI

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Waltham, MA. Founded in 1983, WCRI produces objective, peer-reviewed studies on workers’ compensation systems, using rigorous data collection and scientific methods. Funded by its members, including employers, insurers, government agencies, health care providers, and labor organizations, WCRI produces research that helps key stakeholders make informed decisions.

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