Policy & the Economy

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.
Thomas N. Hubbard

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.
Craig Garthwaite

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.
Craig Garthwaite, Christopher Ody and Amanda Starc

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.
Efraim Benmelech

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.
Jason Abaluck, Mauricio Cáceres Bravo, Peter Hull and Amanda Starc

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.
David Dranove, Craig Garthwaite and Manuel I. Hermosilla

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.
Erika Deserranno, Aisha Nansamba, Nancy Qian, Katharine Baldwin, Dean Karlan, Christopher Udry and Ernest Appiah

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.
Martin Eichenbaum, Sergio Rebelo and Mathias Trabandt

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.
Benjamin F. Jones

May 1, 2020
How to Craft Public-Health Messages That Work
The key? Understanding how fear and confidence shape healthy choices.
Chethana Achar, Nidhi Agrawal and Meng-Hua Hsieh

April 7, 2020
How Infectious-Disease Testing Can Improve Employee Performance
A new study on malaria prevention shows that employees who know their health status become more productive at work.
Oladele Akogun, Andrew Dillon, Jed Friedman, Ashesh Prasann and Pieter Serneels

January 2, 2020
Do Doctors Who Supervise Residents Spend Less Time with Patients?
Data from two ERs suggest that patients at teaching hospitals aren’t losing out on face time with senior physicians.
Ernest Wang, Yue Yin, Itai Gurvich, Morris Kharasch, Clifford Rice, Jared Novack, Christine Babcock, James Ahn, Steven Bowman and Jan A. Van Mieghem

October 4, 2019
Would "Medicare for All" Really Reduce Healthcare Costs in the U.S.?
Single payer drives significant savings in countries like Canada. But new research suggests it might play out differently in the U.S.
Jillian Chown, David Dranove, Craig Garthwaite and Jordan Keener

April 4, 2019
When an Industry Consolidates, What Happens to Wages?
A surprisingly consistent answer has emerged in one sector: healthcare.
Elena Prager and Matt Schmitt

January 3, 2019
There’s a Better Way to Manage Your Inventory
Using data from a drug-store chain, a new model finds opportunities to prevent shortages and boost profits.
Chaithanya Bandi, Eojin Han and Omid Nohadani

September 6, 2018
Everyone Wants Pharmaceutical Breakthroughs. What Drives Drug Companies to Pursue Them?
A new study suggests that firms are at their most innovative after a financial windfall.
Joshua Krieger, Danielle Li and Dimitris Papanikolaou

September 5, 2018
Here’s a Better Way to Schedule Surgeries
A new tool could drive savings of 20 percent while still keeping surgeons happy.
Chaithanya Bandi and Diwakar Gupta

July 9, 2018
How to Solve Healthcare’s Trust Deficit
Doctors, patients, and insurers are often skeptical of each other. Three experts discuss ways to counteract that.
Kent Grayson, Lakshmi Halasyamani and Daniel Dahl

July 3, 2018
Even for the Insured, a Hospital Stay Has Surprising Costs
The long-term financial toll extends far beyond medical bills.
Carlos Dobkin, Amy Finkelstein, Raymond Kluender and Matthew J. Notowidigdo

March 2, 2018
Privatizing Medicaid Drug Benefits Reduces Spending
The savings come without any decrease in quality of care, new research shows.
David Dranove, Christopher Ody and Amanda Starc
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