August 25, 2026
The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research will welcome nationally recognized social policy scholar Pamela Herd for a public lecture examining how administrative requirements affect access to Medicaid and other public benefit programs.
Herd will present “Paperwork Requirements or Work Requirements? Administrative Burdens in Medicaid” on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. at The Fetzer Center on the campus of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. A reception will follow the lecture.
A leading expert on public policy and health access, Herd is the Carol Kakalec Kohn Professor of Social Policy at the University of Michigan. Her research explores how bureaucratic processes and administrative requirements can create barriers for individuals seeking access to government programs and services. Herd's work has helped shape national conversations about administrative burden and its impact on social policy.
During the lecture, Herd will discuss the growing role of paperwork and reporting requirements in Medicaid programs and how administrative processes can influence access to health coverage. Her research examines how these burdens can disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and contribute to broader inequities.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged.
The lecture is co-sponsored by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research and Western Michigan University's Department of Economics.