Health Economics – Knowledge@Wharton: Recent Episodes
Knowledge@Wharton is the online business analysis journal of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan leveraged their IT capabilities to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, writes Ravi Aron in this opinion piece.
The spiraling cost of health care is pushing more working families with employer-sponsored insurance to cover their kids through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, according to a recent study from the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania.
Purdue Pharma has been accused of fueling the opioid epidemic with overly aggressive marketing practices for its OxyContin brand. What would a proposed settlement mean for the company and for opioid victims?
Successfully addressing social determinants of health -- such as access to food, housing and employment -- could lead to “the greatest opportunity to advance health in our country in a generation,” according to one expert.
Wharton's Hummy Song examines the common hospital practice of capacity pooling and whether it’s the best way to manage the mismatch between the number of patients and available beds.
Changes in the economy, the nature of employment benefits and attitudes toward work more generally have made planning for retirement more complicated than ever.
So far, attempts at transparency in health care fees have not shifted consumer behavior – and too much pricing information could be counterproductive, experts say.
New research from Wharton's Ashley Swanson shows that preferred pharmacy networks result in a 1% decrease in Medicare Part D drug costs -- and that could add up.
High-deductible employer health plans are cheaper for businesses and may also be cheaper for employees. But are they too much of a gamble?
Penn Medicine’s new Campaign for Professionalism is designed to curb workplace incivility through a clear code of conduct and an open channel of communication for employees.
There is clear evidence in biomedical literature that compassion drives better outcomes for patients, doctors and business, notes author and physician Stephen Trzeciak.
AI holds great promise for medical advancements. Researchers discuss how algorithms can be used boost patient outcomes.
Amazon’s move into health care, with HIPAA compliance for virtual assistant Alexa, raises questions about what the tech giant plans to do with patient data.
Wharton's Mark Pauly and Genevieve Kanter, a professor at Penn's medical school, discuss potential changes to the rules on preventing physician kick-backs.
Government intervention could work where market mechanisms have failed to keep prescription drug prices affordable – but policymakers will have a tough time cutting through the finger-pointing from all sides, experts say.
AI has the potential to boost medical outcomes while lowering costs in the U.S. health care system. In this opinion piece, experts propose one way of implementing AI using a work systems model.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the world’s biggest government health insurance program. While some are questioning his motives, experts say it is a necessary step for India.
Do short-term, limited-duration health insurance policies increase consumer choice? Or do they put people in danger of not having adequate coverage if disaster strikes?
A lawsuit that wants to dismantle the Affordable Care Act in its entirety could create outcomes that are worse than the problems it aims to fix.
A one-size-fits-all approach is often the fundamental flaw of these programs, say Wharton and Penn researchers.
Hospitals can cut medical bills and raise the quality of care by bundling up multiple services in one bill, notes new research by Penn medicine's Amol Navathe.
President Trump’s recently announced plan to lower prescription drug prices could benefit consumers in the short run, but it may end up hurting new drug development, experts say.
Is it possible to end all epidemics? Harvard Medical School's Jonathan Quick says there are steps public institutions can -- but don't -- take to protect society.
From a device to prevent glaucoma-related blindness, to a beauty ritual from ancient India, to a competitive penny-wagering mobile game, startups recently battled for $135,000 in cash and prizes.
Serendipity plays a big role in life-science innovation since breakthroughs often are unintended consequences. Yet despite the seeming randomness, this creative process can be managed -- and improved, say experts.
What if a simple nudge could help you make better decisions? A new large-scale experiment headed by two Penn researchers aims to help people develop better exercise habits.
The three heavyweights announced last week that they are joining forces to reduce health care costs for their employees. Will the new model shake up the health care industry?
Traditional Silicon Valley startup models involving venture capital or private equity are missing new markets as health care's evolution speeds up, says one entrepreneur.
Leading pharma companies conspire to keep drug price in the U.S. far higher than a free market would support -- and that also stifles innovation, says the author of a new book.
With debate over the Affordable Care Act likely to take a backseat, here are some key issues facing the U.S. health care sector in 2018.
A merger between CVS and Aetna would create a one-stop model for coordinated care – but would consumers really benefit?
Workaholics are often seen as individuals who are "working themselves to death," with an increased risk of health issues like heart attack and stroke. But is this true?
Wharton research looks at whether expanded access to medical insurance under the Affordable Care Act has led to improved health outcomes for patients.
Complexity, increasingly complex technologies and rapidly changing disease patterns make institutional partnerships for health care construction projects more viable.
In order to take advantage of Africa’s rapidly growing market for pharmaceuticals, global players must focus on the unique characteristics of African health care systems that can drive scale.
E-visits to doctors were supposed to make it easier for physicians to treat patients and create better health outcomes. But it has not turned out that way.
New Wharton research examines the long-term impact of playing high school or college football.
In this opinion piece, BCG’s Payal Sheth explains how a meditation technique transformed the way she thinks and engages with people.
There is little agreement about what needs to be done to fix America's health care system -- and experts agree that a quick resolution seems like a remote possibility.
In his new book, Obamacare advisor and Penn professor Ezekiel Emanuel looks at innovative solutions for the health care crisis.
The cost of health care in the United States is spiraling upward while politicians continue to bicker over how to fix a broken system.
The CBO's report is in about the potential impacts of the American Health Care Act -- here's how the findings could impact Senate Republicans' version of the effort to repeal and replace Obamacare.
For many critics of U.S. health care, Canada's single-payer system has long been viewed as an alternative, superior model. Could a similar system work in the U.S.?
Behavioral economics could help tackle the complex problem of creating a health insurance system that works for all citizens.
Personalized medicine – also called precision or genetics-based medicine -- was expected to revolutionize the field. But why are results so meager 15 years later?
Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says the key to alleviating chronic stress is right at our fingertips: establishing emotional well-being.
An overlooked health crisis among working-class, middle-age whites in the U.S. has led to a sharp spike in mortality rates not seen in other groups or other rich countries. Why?
Obamacare may still be the law of the land, but how much will Republicans be able to chip away at its foundations?
The number of skilled nursing homes is falling for many reasons. Can the decline be reversed in time for the baby boomer bulge?
China has made big gains in health care -- 95% of its population now has catastrophic coverage. But it faces big environmental and demographic challenges.