Professor Lauren Roth Receives Grant Support for Research Project

Assistant Professor of Law Lauren R. Roth has been awarded a grant from the Commonwealth Fund to lead a research project titled State Regulation of Medicare Brokers. Through this project, she will explore conflicts of interest for insurance brokers who sell supplemental Medicare plans and how states can protect beneficiaries.  

“The project's goal is to supplement previous research on compensation for insurance brokers that results in incentives to favor Medicare Advantage plans and particularly plans with high premiums,” stated Professor Roth. She continued, “While that research focused on federal regulations, the involvement of states in regulating Medicare brokers was not explored.”  

The states license these insurance brokers and also provide information to consumers about the purchase of such plans.  This project, which includes a 50-state survey of relevant regulations and information provided to consumers about Medicare Advantage plans and brokers, will continue throughout the academic year. 

Professor Roth will be on leave from Touro Law during the Spring 2025 semester as she continues her work. She joined Touro Law in 2022. Her teaching and research interests include health law, business law, fiduciary law, and employee benefits. Her scholarship focuses on the role of the government and employers in American health and social welfare and how to promote equity and efficiency in health care.  Professor Roth’s research reflects an interdisciplinary approach (incorporating quantitative methods, American political development, history, and public health) and utilizes a range of methodological tools. She teaches courses in Health Care Law, Public Health Law, and Business Organizations.

“This grant award recognizes Professor Roth’s expertise in the health care space and will provide valuable supplemental research in an area that has yet to be explored,” stated Dean Elena Langan. 

The Commonwealth Fund’s mission is to promote a high-performing, equitable health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable, including people of color, people with low income, and those who are uninsured. The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy. 

 

Patti Desrochers

Assistant Dean for Communications

pattid@tourolaw.edu

(631) 761-7062