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Health Economics

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Financing the efficient delivery of medical services while reducing costs for consumers as well as health care providers is among the most challenging domestic policy problems many countries face. RAND addresses health economics issues through innovative, high-profile research in an effort to improve the efficiency of health care organizations, reduce costs for providers and consumers, and improve financing in health care markets.

Report
COVID-19 'Vaccine Nationalism' Could Cost $1.2 Trillion a Year
Nationalistic behavior by governments may exclude some countries from access to COVID-19 vaccines. This could cost the world economy up to $1.2 trillion a year in GDP. A globally coordinated effort to fight the pandemic is key, not only from a public health perspective but also an economic one.
Oct 28, 2020
Report
U.S. Prescription Drug Prices Are 2.56 Times Those in Other Countries
Prices for prescription drugs in the United States in 2018 were 256 percent of those in 32 comparison countries. For brand-name drugs, U.S. prices were 344 percent higher. But for generic drugs, they were only 84 percent of the average paid in other nations.
Jan 28, 2021

Explore Health Economics

Journal Article
What's Behind Losses At Large Nonprofit Health Systems?
The authors aim to understand the financial performance of large nonprofit hospitals systems in the post-COVID-19 era by examining several of these systems' overall profit margin by using their most recent annual financial reports.
Jun 7, 2023
Journal Article
Vaccinations Against COVID-19 May Have Averted Up To 140,000 Deaths In The United States
As of May 9, 2021, reductions in COVID-19 deaths associated with vaccines had translated to value of statistical life benefit ranging between $625 billion and $1.4 trillion.
Apr 27, 2023
Report
The societal and indirect economic burden of seasonal influenza in the United Kingdom
Societal burden of seasonal influenza, impact on workforce productivity and provision of UK NHS services, indirect economic costs (non-medical) due to labour-productivity losses.
Apr 27, 2023
Brochure
Spotlight 2022–2023
The events of 2022 underscore the continuous nature of change and the constant need for policy informed by evidence. Spotlight 2022-2023 highlights selected projects that we undertook in our 30th anniversary year to address some of today's most pressing policy issues.
Jan 24, 2023
Journal Article
Partially Different? The Importance of General Equilibrium in Health Economic Evaluations: An Application to Nocturia
The main findings of this study highlight the magnitude of general equilibrium effects when assessing the potential productivity costs associated with health conditions.
Nov 29, 2022
Journal Article
Incentives and Reminders to Improve Long-term Medication Adherence (INMIND): Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
This study aims to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel intervention that uses SMS text messages and conditional incentives to support ART initiators in establishing pill-taking habits.
Nov 22, 2022
Report
Health Care Consolidation: What Does the Evidence Say?
Hospital horizontal consolidation is associated with higher prices paid to providers. And there is some evidence of the same for vertical consolidation of hospitals and physician practices. What effect might the No Surprises Act—created to protect consumers from surprise medical bills—have on consolidation trends?
Sep 30, 2022
Journal Article
Higher Medicare Spending On Imaging And Lab Services After Primary Care Physician Group Vertical Integration
This study highlights how the growing trend of vertical integration, combined with differences in Medicare payment between hospitals and nonhospital providers, leads to higher Medicare spending.
Sep 20, 2022
Dissertation
Three Essays on HIV Investments in Sub-Saharan Africa
Examines the HIV-related health decisions and investments that are made by people living with HIV as well as the institutions that serve them, and it assesses their indirect effects.
Sep 6, 2022
Journal Article
Improving Diet Quality in U.S. Adults: A 30-Year Health and Economic Impact Microsimulation
Microsimulation (Future Adult Model) predicted 30-year improved diet quality impacts across 12 demographic groups. Diet improvement reduced prevalence of heart disease by 7.6% to 13.8% across groups and reduced healthcare costs by $10B in year 30.
Jul 12, 2022
Journal Article
Diet Quality Improvement and 30-Year Population Health and Economic Outcomes: A Microsimulation Study
Microsimulation (Future Adult Model) predicted 30-year US population changes from improved diet quality. Diet improvement reduced prevalence of diabetes, heart disease and stroke by 11%, 7%, and 10%, and reduced healthcare costs by $144B in year 30.
Jul 12, 2022
Journal Article
NHS Staff Wellbeing: Why Investing in Organisational and Management Practices Makes Business Sense
This is a summary of the findings of a rapid evidence review and economic analysis commissioned by the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) to advise policymakers on how to improve NHS staff wellbeing.
Jun 22, 2022
Report
The burden of respiratory syncytial virus: Understanding impacts on the NHS, society and economy
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant burden on the healthcare system and on children and their parents and caregivers. We estimate RSV in children under 5 in the UK costs £80 million in healthcare costs and productivity losses each year.
May 31, 2022
Report
Poor indoor climate: Its impact on health and life satisfaction, as well as its wider socio-economic costs
This study looks at the prevalence of poor indoor climate in Europe, its impact on health and well-being, as well as its wider socio-economic costs.
Mar 22, 2022
Blog
Gender Pay Gap Among Doctors, America's Labor Shortage, 'Hacking Equity': RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the pay gap between female and male doctors, understanding America’s weird job market, social and emotional learning, and more.
Dec 17, 2021
Project
Comparing International Prescription Drug Prices
Prescription drug prices in the United States average 2.56 times those in 32 other nations. In a new animation, information designer Gabrielle Mérite illustrates this subject that may seem distant from American consumers but has a concrete impact on their health and finances.
Dec 14, 2021
News Release
Greater Adoption of Telemedicine Could Reap Benefits for the Canadian Economy of Nearly 6 Billion CAD Annually
Increasing the use of telemedicine in Canada through teleconsultations between patients and their primary care provider could lead to benefits for patients, society, and the economy. The economic value of time saved, through fewer hours spent on traveling to appointments and waiting, could be up to 5 billion CAD alone each year.
Dec 6, 2021
Research Brief
Greater adoption of telemedicine could offer economic and social benefits for Canada
This brief summarises the potential impact of increased, long-term telemedicine use in Canada. It was found that teleconsultations could boost the economy in terms of cost savings from fewer missed appointments and visits to emergency departments, and a reduction in travel times for patients.
Dec 6, 2021
Report
The potential socio-economic impact of telemedicine in Canada
This study examined the potential impact in Canada of continued, long-term use of telemedicine. Researchers found that widespread use of teleconsultations could lead to significant benefits for patients, the economy and wider society.
Dec 6, 2021
Journal Article
The Cost of Stress to UK Employers and Employees
This paper uses data from the Britain's Healthiest Workplaces survey to highlight the costs associated with stress and impaired wellbeing in the workplace and their implication for productivity and, by extension, the economic health of society.
Nov 9, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Health Economics

Topic Synonyms:
Medical Economics

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Petra W. Rasmussen

Associate Policy Researcher

Petra W. Rasmussen (she/her) is an associate policy researcher at RAND. Her research focuses on health care coverage in the United States, including examining consumer insurance decision-making, tracking the implementation and effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and evaluating gaps in…
Marco Hafner

Senior Economist

Marco Hafner is a senior economist at the RAND Corporation. Also a research leader at RAND Europe, he works on employment, education and social policy research. He conducted doctoral studies in economics and applied econometrics and holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of…

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