Michael is a senior fellow whose work concentrates on health policy research and analysis for public and private organizations. His current research is concentrated on the interaction between scientific development and health economics, with a particular concentration on diabetes and obesity. This includes serving as the Principal Investigator on the economics team of the clinical trial evaluating the introduction of the continuous glucose monitor for the treatment of diabetes. He served as the Chair of the National Academies of Sciences / Institute of Medicine Panel Measuring Medical Care Risk In Conjunction With The New Supplemental Income Poverty Measure and is currently a member of the National Academy of Sciences Policy Roundtable of the Behavioral and Social Sciences.  He also provides strategic consulting and analysis for a range of organizations. This includes the development of new modeling and methods for improving the federal budget process by introducing the latest disease-based epidemiological modeling into budget estimates for interventions for chronic illness, particularly diabetes and obesity.

From 2003 to 2005, he was the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at HHS, where he directed both the policy development and policy research across the full array of issues confronting the Department. During his tenure as the Assistant Secretary, he increased the quality and rigor of ASPE’s research and analysis, providing rapid and critical analyses of legislative and regulatory proposals. Prior to his Senate confirmation as the Assistant Secretary, he served as the senior health economist on the majority staff of the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress. Previously, he held senior staff positions at the Senate Finance Committee, the Bipartisan Commission for the Future of Medicare, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress.