Korbin Liu, Sc.D., In Memoriam 1944-2007

Korbin Liu, Sc.D., was a principal research associate at the Urban Institute, an organization that analyzes policies and evaluates programs with the intent of info rming community development and fostering social, civic, and economic interests. Dr. Liu's principal research area was long-term care, which included work on Medicare, Medicaid, and those dually eligible for both programs. Key elements of his work addressed nursing home use, long-term care payments and costs, and the costs of end-of-life care. Information about Dr. Liu's body of work can be found at www.urban.org/expert.cfm?ID=KorbinLiu

Dr. Liu earned his Sc.D. in Population Sciences from Harvard University, an M.S. in Public Health from the University of Massachusetts, and an A.B in Biology from Amherst College. Prior to working at the Urban Institute, Dr. Liu worked at the Health Care Financing Administration (now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), the Public Health Service, and the National Center for Health Services Research and Health Care Technology Assessment. Dr. Liu also was a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University while he was earning his doctorate.

Dr. Liu's HCFO-funded research examined those who were dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and the factors that affect their end-of-life care. The goal of this research was to improve current policies and care for this population of individuals.

Dr. Liu completed two publications based on his HCFO-funded study. Published in Health Care Financing Review, "End-of-Life Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures for Dually Eligible Beneficiaries" discussed the use of Medicare and Medicaid services for beneficiaries during the last year of life and concluded that policy must consider the interaction between Medicare and Medicaid. In an article published in Inquiry, Dr. Liu presented results from research that show that 75 percent of dual eligibles used nursing home care in the last year of their life.

Dr. Liu died in August 2007 after battling cancer. His contribution to health services research will not soon be forgotten.