What happens when vaping gets more expensive?
A new Health Economics study finds higher e-cigarette prices and taxes reduce vaping, but users may switch across device types rather than to cigarettes.
Policy design matters. tinyurl.com/ycyxr35w
Not all health spending is equal. 🌍
New data from 121 districts in Mozambique shows that domestic funds + local budget support are the keys to child survival. 🏥
The secret? Local governance makes international aid more effective.
tinyurl.com/45rme8hy
End-of-life care shouldn't bankrupt families.
A new study in China shows Long-Term Care Insurance cuts catastrophic spending by up to 52% and cuts out-of-pocket costs by 73%! 📉
The secret? Shifting from aggressive interventions to dignified support.
tinyurl.com/mtpb23aa
Can a simple letter improve health? ✉️🏥
New research in France shows proactive outreach to retired self-employed workers increased healthcare use by 0.6%.
When paired with a social worker, that effect ⬆️ to 2%.
tinyurl.com/4v9ey6xe
Can health campaigns drive up your rent? 🍎🏙️
New NYC research shows "health sorting" spikes demand for homes near parks, raising rents by ~2% and displacing the low-income residents these policies aim to help. tinyurl.com/mpk98vnb
📢 New Issue Alert: Health Economics May 2026 is out. From health dynamics and insurance markets to suicide, antimicrobial resistance, maternal education, free drugs, and PROMs, this issue has range.
Dive in! ⬇️
tinyurl.com/56nuaxph
Why does it take so long for new drugs to be funded? 💊⏳
It’s not just red tape—it’s strategic bargaining. A study of 634 submissions in Australia found a 16-month median delay.
High costs + uncertainty = Longer waits. tinyurl.com/7nmkpbtc
Is a child’s time worth "nothing" in healthcare cost calculations? 🧒⏳
Economic evaluations often ignore the opportunity cost of a child's time because they don't earn wages. New research calls for a change.
Time is a finite resource—regardless of age. tinyurl.com/54nmnj59
Did frontline health workers suffer worse mental health during COVID-19? 🧠
New evidence from UK suggests their mental health declined—but not more than other workers. The pandemic’s psychological toll was broad, not confined to healthcare alone.
tinyurl.com/mr2zp2ef
Is Medicare Advantage still attracting the healthiest seniors? 🏥
New research shows a shift: Since 2017, MA enrollees actually have 5-6% higher predicted costs than Traditional Medicare.
The driver? A growing share of dual-eligible enrollees. tinyurl.com/2ef6v8e8
Like father, like son? 🍺
New research shows alcohol habits are passed down—but primarily through same-sex lines.
📈 Mother-daughter & Father-son links are strongest.
🕒 Influence peaks at ages 15-17 & re-emerges at 28–37.
tinyurl.com/ycxsuh3u
Is aging really what drives rising hospital spending? 🏥
New evidence shows a more nuanced story: the “steepening” effect explains ~60% of growth, while the time-to-death effect offsets ~19%.
Demographics matter, but not in the way many assumed. tinyurl.com/5n85886e
A simple behavioral nudge can significantly improve opioid safety.
In a randomized trial, reminder cards increased the return of unused opioids by 52% and reduced program cost per pill returned by ~25%.
Small design changes can strengthen public health programs. tinyurl.com/vvahcb9e
Legalizing online sports betting may carry hidden public health costs.
New evidence shows a ~10% rise in binge drinking among young men after legalization—driven by more frequent episodes among existing binge drinkers, not new drinkers.
Policy spillovers matter. tinyurl.com/5ykmw8fu
Does feedback improve health preference surveys? 🧪
A new study finds mixed effects: some respondents become more consistent, yet 71% stick with their original choices after feedback.
Are surveys guiding respondents — or nudging them? tinyurl.com/ydr2htsb
How does the law change how your doctor treats you? 🏥⚖️
New research shows that when malpractice "duty of care" is judged by national standards, MDs are slower to adopt new medical innovations—until they become the national norm.
tinyurl.com/3ehx259c
📘 Now out: Health Economics, Volume 35, Issue 4 (April 2026).
This issue explores labor markets and health, insurance design, physician incentives, and the fiscal trade-offs shaping health systems worldwide.
Browse the latest research: tinyurl.com/4kvxpekb
Why pay for more treatments when we should pay for better health? 🏥
New research proposes a model for rewarding actual health gains using Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). 📉➡️📈
Let's shift the focus to value, not just volume. tinyurl.com/kry3yvty
Stricter abortion clinic regulations were associated with a 6.6% decline in OB/GYN supply — about 2 fewer doctors per 100,000 women of reproductive age.
New research in Health Economics. tinyurl.com/4v5xajtj
Do free prescription drugs change behavior?
Evidence from Poland shows that removing out-of-pocket costs increased prescription use and reduced financial burden, with limited signs of offsetting overuse.
tinyurl.com/yc4fdprc
🚨 New Issue Alert 🚨
The March 2026 issue of Health Economics explores how policy, institutions, and early-life conditions shape health over the life course—from primary care access and income gradients to pandemics, tax credits, and intergenerational effects.
tinyurl.com/4kvxpekb
New research from Kenya: Giving a mother just 1 extra year of education reduces her child’s risk of stunting by 3.8% and underweight by 2.6%. 📚🇰🇪
It’s not just a correlation — it’s a causal "intergenerational lift." 📈
tinyurl.com/3bu4f825
Expanding prescription drug coverage can reduce severe antimicrobial resistance.
New research shows Medicare Part D led to 42.4 fewer AMR-related hospitalizations per 100k people. 📉
Improved access = timely treatment = fewer severe infections.
tinyurl.com/mrx9tmv8
Public investment in global health research can pay off — locally.
New evidence shows that returning African scientists trained through @NIH programs boost HIV research, grants, trials, and policy impact at home.
tinyurl.com/259rxc3t
🚨 New Research: Confinement during the pandemic was a major factor in Japan’s rising female suicide rates.
📉 Study shows ~35% of suicides among females <20 were linked to staying at home.
We must prioritize social connection in future public health plans. tinyurl.com/3d2d3hm4
How do insurers respond when patients face multiple health risks? Evidence from Chile’s private health system shows strong asymmetric information across risks, shaping premiums, plan design, and who gets covered.
Risk selection is more complex than we think. tinyurl.com/26s93chm
Is European health progress truly "fair"? 🌍
New data shows income-based health looks progressive, but when you factor in parental background and job status, the trend reverses. 📉
🏥 Italy leads in favorable dynamics. 🚻 Women lead in IT/DE; men in FI.
tinyurl.com/yj8wh4vw
Spending $1 on fossil fuel subsidies can cost $0.35 in public health funding. 💸🏥
A new 126-country study reveals how these subsidies "crowd out" health budgets, stalling progress on #SDG3.
The choice: cheap fuel or healthy people? 🌍
tinyurl.com/36ec52z5
China’s Zero-Markup Drug Policy reshaped prescribing incentives.
New evidence shows doctors’ choices respond far more to hospital profit margins than patient prices—cutting costs and improving patient welfare.
tinyurl.com/5yxymscm
Disability insurance doesn’t always replace work. Evidence from Italy shows that when benefits can be combined with earnings, higher DI generosity raises take-up but has only minor effects on employment.
DI can function as a complement to labor income. tinyurl.com/2ewarya5