Skip to main content
Coronavirus image with medical professional Adobe Stock / greenbutterfly

Producing world-class research to improve the quality, productivity, and fairness of the US health system.

The US spends $4.3 trillion annually on health care - 18.3% of US GDP. Despite this significant investment, millions still struggle to access care, there are significant gaps in quality, and the system is putting immense strain on American families. In short, the healthcare system isn't operating as efficiently or productively as it could.

Our Health Economics portfolio analyzes the pricing of health care services and pharmaceutical products, the impact of key policy changes, and the performance of public and private insurance markets. In addition, we played a meaningful role in the national response to COVID-19, created a new national resource reducing risk in nursing homes featured by CDC and AARP, and launched the 1% Steps for Health Care Reform project, a new multi-university initiative to reframe the causes of high health spending in the US and propose tangible steps to raise the productivity of the US health system. 

Public Comment: Prof. Zack Cooper's submission to the Indiana Department of Health regarding the proposed merger of Union Health and Terre Haute Regional Hospital, March 21, 2025

Featured Research

The Long-Run Effects of SNAP Work Requirements

New research from Chima Ndumele and Jacob Wallace finds that most people pushed out of SNAP in Connecticut didn’t find their way back in, even when work requirements were later reversed.

SNAP
Who Pays For Rising Health Care Prices?

Zack Cooper and coauthors document how rising health care prices drive unemployment and job losses

WSJ 3