Lydia Roberts puts theory into practice to help everyday Pennsylvanians

On August 26, Women’s Equality Day, Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) and members of his administration used the day to highlight the importance of preventive screenings and the services available to Pennsylvania’s women through their insurance.

State flag of Pennsylvania

A 2025 survey by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) found that 31 percent of Pennsylvania’s women had little to no awareness of the preventive services available to them under the Affordable Care Act. In response, the PID, along with the state departments of Health and Human Services, has launched a statewide tour to raise awareness about the life-saving care available at no cost.

Photo of Lydia Roberts
Lydia Roberts

“We know that understanding what is available through your insurance can be the first step toward taking charge of your health,” said Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys.

First-year HPM student Lydia Roberts, who is taking part in the 4+1 accelerated degree program, interned with PID consumer services divisions last summer.

“I guided consumers regarding the burdensome process of insurance appeals and denials,” she said. “I focused on policy-specific questions and escalated inquiries to formalized complaints when necessary.”

Roberts said working with the PID was appealing because it let her apply what she learned in the classroom to real-world consumer problems. “I was fascinated by the prospect of figuring out what every day Pennsylvanians were struggling with, and what power the Commonwealth could leverage to benefit them,” she added.  

She credits her HPM’s Assistant Professor Miranda Yaver’s Intro to Health Policy and Management course for much of exposing her to the problems consumers face with administrative burdens in insurance (the focus of much of Yaver’s research) and legal protections offered and information about “how” insurance works, all providing her with the opportunity to engage with the downstream effects while helping consumers.

Working with the PID allowed Roberts to see public service from another perspective, especially as someone who wants to work in health policy development.

“It’s invaluable to maintain the first-hand experience in observing the benefits and shortcomings health policy provides to consumers,” she said, adding that her time reinvigorated her desire to work in health policy and the public sector, crediting her coworkers for helping her reaffirm her love for advocating for her fellow Pennsylvanians.

The Pittsburgh stop of the Women’s Preventative Health info session is at Noon on September 3 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Oakland branch. 


- Mike Friend

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