Sarah Benatar is a principal research associate in the Health Policy Center at the Urban Institute.  Her research investigates how public policies affect vulnerable populations’ health outcomes, access to care, use of services, and enrollment in coverage programs, with a particular focus on maternal and child health.  

Benatar has led and participated in several projects focused on maternal and child health, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Medicaid, combining qualitative and quantitative methods to achieve the richest findings. She is working on a national evaluation of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns enhanced prenatal care program; she leads the evaluation’s process measurement and monitoring task and is a senior member of the case study team. Benatar is also deputy project director for a multiyear evaluation of a home visitation and community-based program intervention in Los Angeles, aimed at improving health and developmental outcomes for low-income mothers and children. She is coleading a study to examine the impact of the Affordable Care Act on women’s preventive health care service use. 

Additional recent work includes an evaluation of ongoing efforts to redesign the county clinic system in San Mateo County, California, an evaluation of a physician incentive program in Los Angeles, a review of recent family planning research, and a feasibility assessment of a universal vaccine-purchasing program for children in New York State.  

Benatar holds a PhD in public policy from George Washington University.