Economics and Health

The Stanford Health Policy community is comprised of physicians, economists and decision scientists examining how resources are allocated within the health-care system and how these appropriations affect the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of health-care delivery. They evaluate the costs and benefits of different health-care interventions, helping to inform policy decisions that can improve health outcomes and public health systems.

Nursing home staffer helps elderly patient

When Healthcare Providers Go Bankrupt, Patients Pay the Price

Healthcare bankruptcies drive up staff turnover and put more patients at risk, according to new study by Stanford health economist Adrienne Sabety.

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Less Invasive Heart Procedure Proves Just as Effective—And Less Expensive

Previous studies found coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to be cost-effective compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but new research led by SHP's Mark Hlatky shows their comparative effectiveness and economic outcomes may have chang

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US Life Expectancy Lags—But It’s Worse for the Aging `Forgotten Middle’

A new study finds lower middle-class Americans are experiencing a sharp decline in health and well-being—especially those approaching retirement.

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Lisa Larrimore Ouellette of Stanford Law and Josh Salomon of Stanford Health Policy

Addressing the Harms of Market-Driven Drug Development

Stanford researchers address a persistent flaw in the U.S. health system: prioritizing treatment investment based on market potential rather than medical necessity.

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Even in Death, Victor Fuchs Has a Message to Share

A working paper that the longtime Stanford health economist drafted more than 35 years ago tying child-care subsidies to women’s economic equality sees the light of day.

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Video: High Cost of Cancer CareVanderbilt University Professor Stacie B. Dusetzina and Stanford Health Policy Professor Alyce Adams discuss the high cost of cancer care in the United States and the policies that can prevent cancer patients from having to choose between health and bankruptcy.

High Cost of Cancer Care

Policy Brief: Increasing Fairness in Medicare Payment Algorithms

Stanford Health Policy Professors Marissa Reitsma and Sherri Rose develop risk adjustment algorithms that can promote fairer spending for minoritized racial and ethnic groups.

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Unhappy With Your Health Insurance? Your Employer May Not Care

U.S. corporations are doing surprisingly little to improve health-care options for their employees, according to research by Graduate School of Business Professors Jeffrey Pfeffer and Sara Singer.

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Economics is fundamentally the study of human behavior and how people make choices in the face of constraint. The questions that are posed and analyzed by economists influence so much of public policy.

Maya Rossin-Slater

Associate Professor of Health Policy

Sherri Rose: Computational Health Economics

Maya Rossin-Slater: Economics and Gun Violence

Maria Polyakova: Impact of Early COVID Pandemic

Research Reveals Women Take Substantial Earnings Hit During Menopause

According to a new study from Stanford economist Petra Persson—an SHP courtesy faculty member—women who visit a health care provider with menopause-related symptoms are earning 10% less four years later.

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Extending Prescription Drug Inflationary Rebates to Commercial Health Plans

A new study by SHP's Marissa Reitsma and Michelle Mello finds that extending prescription drug rebates to commercial health plans could lead to big savings.

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Does Health Insurance Create Jobs?

A new study by Maria Polyakova sheds new light on the relationship between expanding health care services and job creation.

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Companies Focus on Health Plans' Costs Instead of Employee Access and Experience

It appears that most private companies look at how their health insurance plans impact their budgets rather than how they benefit or detract from the health and well-being of their employees, according to a new study led by SHP's Sara Singer.

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