Petra W. Rasmussen

Petra W. Rasmussen is a policy researcher at RAND and Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. Her work centers on health care coverage, insurance decision-making, health policy implementation, and health care access in the United States, with a focus on federal and state-level analysis.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
• M.P.H. in Health Policy and Management, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
• Bachelor's Degree, Duke University

Her research interests include health insurance, health literacy, health economics, and health care access. She employs mixed methods, including analysis of national and state survey data, insurance enrollment and claims databases, and semi-structured interviews. Her work spans diverse areas such as Medicare-Medicaid integration, cervical cancer screening in low-resource settings, workers’ compensation payment models, and funding for youth exiting foster care.

The recent body of her publications (2021–2025) reflects a strong focus on health policy evaluation, cost-effectiveness analysis, and health system financing. Key themes include Medicare and Medicaid alignment, alternative payment models, global health interventions, and consumer decision-making in insurance marketplaces. Her research combines rigorous quantitative modeling with real-world policy implications.

Scientific Awards:

• No awards listed in the provided text.

Dr. Rasmussen has led and contributed to numerous policy analyses and program evaluations. She has conducted environmental scans on Medicare quality, health plan value, social determinants of health, and public funding for foster youth. Her research has been supported by data from large national databases and has informed state and federal policy discussions. She is actively publishing and contributing to RAND’s mission of evidence-based public policy.

She has been involved in projects examining the California workers’ compensation system, VA community care, and cervical cancer screening in Malawi. Her work often bridges domestic and international health policy challenges, demonstrating methodological versatility and policy relevance. She is affiliated with RAND’s health and public policy research teams.