This report is an extension of the op-ed “To Fight the Coronavirus, Cut the Red Tape,” that was published in The New York Times on March 24, 2020 by Sendhil Mullainathan and Richard H. Thaler. The research team reviewed the public submissions from the www.pauseregulations.com website in which individuals who were closely impacted by regulations provided ideas for what policies might be changed during the time of COVID-19. The purpose of this report is to present the research findings and recommendations for three specific changes to regulations which may prove to support the efforts of the medical workers and healthcare industry to bring down barriers and foster innovation in the fight against this virus.

More on this topic

BFI Working Paper·Jun 5, 2025

Administrative Fragmentation in Health Care

Riley League and Maggie Shi
Topics: Health care
BFI Working Paper·May 13, 2025

Saved by Medicaid: New Evidence on Health Insurance and Mortality from the Universe of Low-Income Adults

Angela Wyse and Bruce Meyer
Topics: Health care, Tax & Budget
BFI Working Paper·Apr 28, 2025

Screening Through Soft Spending Limits: Evidence from the Medicare Therapy Cap

Ashvin Gandhi and Maggie Shi
Topics: Health care