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A customer uses a prescription drug copay coupon.
March 1, 2024

Video: Understanding America’s Prescription Drug Market

A healthcare economist answers questions about pharmaceutical innovation, costs, and more.

Dermatologist and robot look at patient's head
February 5, 2024

What Happens When We Give Doctors an AI Assistant?

Machine-learning systems can improve physicians’ accuracy at diagnosing dermatological diseases. But even with AI assistance, physicians struggle to close the accuracy gap between light- and dark-skinned patients.

three people in line at a pharmacy with the same prescription and different priced receipts
October 6, 2023

Can We Build a Better Prescription Drug Market?

Medicare will soon be able to negotiate directly with drug makers. But one economist explains why “the goal should be to increase value, not just lower prices.”

Person reading giant book titled "Open Enrollment Choices"
February 2, 2023

Consumers Lose Out When Health Insurers Offer Lots of Plans

While extra choices are usually considered a good thing, insurers are able to use them strategically to maximize profits.

doctors offices in small nodules
February 1, 2023

Will AI Eventually Replace Doctors?

Maybe not entirely. But the doctor–patient relationship is likely to change dramatically.

person in health clinic looking at poster of anthropomorphic virus
September 1, 2022

How Humanizing Disease Could Be a New Public Health Tool

Anthropomorphizing a disease changes how we feel about it—and the steps we take to avoid it.

lobby of a healthcare facility
June 21, 2022

Where Is the U.S. Healthcare Industry Headed?

New business models abound, private equity is expanding, and healthcare workers are hard to find.

two pill bottles stand on a pharmacy counter.
June 1, 2022

Consumers Pay When Generic Drug Companies Collude. Here’s a Way to Stop Them.

Price-fixing by pharmaceutical cartels can cost billions, and the threat of lawsuits isn’t enough to deter it.

four doctors brainstorm a medical innovation
April 5, 2022

We Hear a Lot about New Drugs. But What Spurs Innovation in Medical Procedures?

There’s been little research on what brings about new procedures, despite how life-changing they can be.

patient hides cigarette behind back from doctor
April 1, 2022

How Social Stigma Can Dissuade Us from Taking Care of Our Health

A new study explores the decisions that go into seeking preventative care.

transformer robot comprised of healthcare elements including clinic, ambulance, and hospital.
June 21, 2021

How Did “Big Med” Get So Big—and So Expensive?

Two economists explain how the American healthcare system evolved into the behemoth it is today—and what can be done to lower costs and improve patient care.

nurse uses stethoscope on hospital building
June 2, 2021

Nursing Shortages Cause Real Harm to Patients. Policymakers Should Pay Attention.

During COVID, governments eased hiring restrictions. A Kellogg economist explains why the labor market should stay flexible.

Doctor checks patient using stethoscope
May 17, 2021

Taking the Pulse of the Changing U.S. Healthcare Ecosystem

As healthcare gets more complex—and more expensive—business models are adapting to address misaligned interests and incentives.

patients and healthcare workers in modern hospital lobby
May 10, 2021

How Regulating Hospital Prices Can Impact Patient Care

There are tangible benefits for quality of care when hospitals compete for higher-paying patients.

A person watches direct-to-consumer TV drug advertising.
November 23, 2020

Is Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine the Next Blockbuster Drug?

Investors are keeping a close eye on the drug firm’s vaccine advances. But the company’s longer-term fortunes may lie elsewhere.

hospital bills pile up
October 28, 2020

Choosing the Right Health-Insurance Plan Could Add Years to Your Life

New evidence suggests that certain Medicare Advantage plans increase life spans more than others. Here’s what the best plans have in common.

Drug innovation at a pharmaceutical company
September 2, 2020

Pharma Companies Argue That Lower Drug Prices Would Mean Fewer Breakthrough Drugs. Is That True?

Probably not, a new study suggests—as long as the price decreases are modest.

To succeed, foreign aid and health programs need buy-in and coordination with local partners.
August 7, 2020

Why Well-Meaning NGOs Sometimes Do More Harm than Good

Studies of aid groups in Ghana and Uganda show why it’s so important to coordinate with local governments and institutions.

“Smart containment” offers better health and economic outcomes than quarantines alone.
May 27, 2020

The Wrong Way to Ramp Up COVID-19 Testing

Robust testing is key to safely reopening the economy. But a new model shows that if testing is not paired with “smart containment,” it could backfire.

A male scientist's lab is better funded than a female scientist's lab.
May 8, 2020

The U.S. Is Full of Innovative Thinkers. The Government Needs to Marshal All of Them to Fight Covid-19.

Here’s how we can accelerate efforts to reduce the spread, develop treatments, and find a vaccine.

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