Special Issue Call for Papers: Supply Side Healthcare Regulations

In collaboration with the Journal of Regulatory Economics, this Special Issue aims to examine the regulations that affect health workforce dynamics, service accessibility, and patient well-being.

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See more information about this Special Issue and for submission details for this call HERE. 

Potential Research Topics

For this special issue of JRE, we are seeking high quality submissions that fill important gaps in the state regulation literature. Possible topics include may include, but are not limited to:

1. Interstate Licensing & Workforce Mobility Is there an increase in access to testing and diagnostic services through the expansion professional compacts that cannot be solved by universal licensing recognition?

2. Non-Physician Providers & Access Does increasing healthcare access through wider availability of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, midwives, and doulas improve community wellness and longevity? How does this affect the quality of care provided in high-need communities? 

3. Economic Impact of Expanding Prescriptive Authority Pharmacists prescribing medications like insulin and inhalers increase access, but what is the economic impact? Do families avoid medical bankruptcy? What are the expected cost savings to individuals and healthcare systems from adjusting regulations on prescriptive authority? 

4. Maternal & Infant Health in Rural Areas How does removing restrictive regulations on midwives and doulas affect maternal and infant health outcomes in underserved regions? Does this lead to healthier mothers and infants?

5. Reimbursement Models The One Big Beautiful Bill introduces several changes to reimbursements for healthcare providers. How do these affect an evolving healthcare market and interact with the regulatory landscape at the state level? 

6. Telehealth & Broadband Access What is the relationship between broadband expansion and telehealth adoption? Which state or federal regulations present barriers to healthcare utilization through telehealth by patients and telehealth adoption by physicians?

Timeline: 

The deadline for the call for papers is February 15, 2026. 

The first review is expected to be completed by March 15, 2026.  

Editorial Team:

Colin O'Reilly, Creighton University

Antonios Koumpias, University of Michigan-Dearborn 

James Bailey, Providence College

Conor Norris, West Virginia University

Patrick McLaughlin, Stanford University

Find the call for papers at the link below: