On May 1-2, 2025, the Becker Friedman Institute Health Economics Initiative’s annual conference will bring together faculty, research professionals, and students to present the latest research on all topics in health economics.

Joining the 2025 Health Economics Initiative Conference as the keynote speaker will be Jonathan Skinner, Dartmouth College.

This conference is by invitation only. If you’re interested in attending or have any questions, please contact bfi-events@uchicago.edu.

Agenda

Thursday, May 1, 2025
8:30 am–9:00 am

Registration & Breakfast

6th Floor Lounge

9:00 am–9:30 am

Physicians’ Occupational Licensing and the Quantity-Quality Trade-Off

Juan Pablo Atal, University of Pennsylvania

9:30 am–10:00 am

Doctor Discretion in Medical Evaluations

Marika Cabral, University of Texas, Austin

10:00 am–10:15 am

Break

10:15 am–10:45 am

Does Division of Labor Increase Productivity? Evidence from Primary Care

Amanda Dahlstrand, University of Zurich

10:45 am–11:15 am

The Rise of Healthcare Jobs

Joshua Gottlieb, University of Chicago

11:15 am–11:30 am

Break

11:30 am–11:45 am

Introduction by Provost Baicker

Katherine Baicker, University of Chicago Provost

11:45 am–12:30 pm

Productivity in Health Care Keynote

Jonathan Skinner, Dartmouth College

12:30 pm–1:30 pm

Lunch

1st Floor Dining Room

1:30 pm–2:00 pm

Political Polarization in Medicine

Woojin Kim, National Bureau of Economic Research

2:00 pm–2:30 pm

Program Design and Quality Incentives in Medicare Advantage

Colleen Carey, Cornell University

2:30 pm–2:45 pm

Break

2:45 pm–3:15 pm

Moral Hazard under Liquidity Constraints

Keith Ericson, Boston University

3:15 pm–3:45 pm

A Double Dose of Reform: Insurance and Centralized Negotiation in Drug Markets

Tianli Xia, University of Rochester

3:45 pm–4:00 pm

Break

4:00 pm–4:30 pm

Luck of the Draw: The Causal Effect of Physicians on Birth Outcomes

Christian Posso Suarez, Central Bank of Colombia

4:30 pm–5:00 pm

Are Guidelines Worth Following? Treatment Decisions Under Scientific Uncertainty

David Chan, University of California, Berkeley

6:00 pm

Conference Dinner

By invitation only

Friday, May 2, 2025
8:30 am–9:00 am

Breakfast

6th Floor Lounge

9:00 am–9:30 am

On the Economic Infeasibility of Personalized Medicine, and a Solution

Pietro Veronesi, University of Chicago

9:30 am–10:00 am

Price Controls with Imperfect Competition and Choice Frictions: Evidence from Indian Pharmaceuticals

Harsh Gupta, Stanford University

10:00 am–10:15 am

Break

10:15 am–10:45 am

Dynamic Bargaining between Hospitals and Insurers

Jacob Dorn, University of Pennsylvania

10:45 am–11:15 am

Competition and Fraud in Health Care

Jetson Leder-Luis, Boston University

11:15 am–11:30 am

Break

11:30 am–12:00 pm

Product Safety Standards and Technological Innovation: Evidence from the 1968 Radiation Control

Yiyu Xing, University of California, Los Angeles

12:00 pm–12:30 pm

Representation in Product Development: Evidence from Insurance and Clinical Trials

Tamar Oostrom, The Ohio State University

12:30 pm–1:00 pm

Paternalistic Social Assistance: Evidence and Implications from Cash vs. In-Kind Transfers

Matthew Notowidigdo, University of Chicago

1:00 pm–2:00 pm

Lunch

1st Floor Dining Room

2:00 pm

Conference Concludes