The dominant theory in economics for centuries in the Western world has been the free market system, yet the ability of competitive markets to provide quality care has been a central point of recent debate. Extensive government regulation, though well-intentioned, adversely affects the overall health of Americans, inhibits medical innovation, and demands enormous tax-payer investment. The Initiative on Enabling Choice and Competition in Healthcare delivers cutting edge research on the efficiencies of competitiveness in the healthcare sector to demonstrate that free market forces can and do work to provide innovative, equitable, and high-quality care.
Our Vision
To be the leading university-based research center in free-market healthcare, promoting choice and competition to ensure greater access to existing care and new innovations.
Our Mission
To conduct evidence-based research and analyses on market-based choice and competition in the healthcare sector to lead to better-informed policy recommendations.
Working Papers
Policy Brief: Increasing Health Care Choice and Competition in Wisconsin
This policy brief contains a set of recommendations for improving access and competition in the state of Wisconsin’s health care system. These recommendations are based on how current state and federal reforms apply to Wisconsin. The brief is focused on four main...
The Value of Home Administered over Physician-Administered Alzheimer’s Treatments
This paper assesses the value of take-home Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) treatments over physician-administered ones. We find that shifting from a physician-administered treatment to a home-based one in the US would generate a value of $4.67 billion to $25.51 billion...
The Value of Medical Innovation in the Fight Against COVID-19 in the United States
A longstanding economic literature argues that the total welfare loss of a disease comes not only from the direct effects of the disease itself, but also the costs of preventing the disease. This paper assesses how new medical innovations for COVID-19—specifically...
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In the Press
New Bipartisan Legislation, “Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act,” Introduced to Eliminate IRA “Pill Penalty” and Support Small Molecule Drug Innovation, Cites Philipson Policy Brief
February 1, 2024 Press Release - originally published at murphy.house.gov. Washington, D.C. — Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. introduced the Ensuring...
Difference-in-Differences in the Marketplace | February 2024
Price theory says that the most important effects of policy and technological change are often found beyond their first point of contact. This...
5th Annual CERSI Innovations in Regulatory Science Summit | UCSF-Stanford CERSI | 01/31/2024
2024 CERSI Summit - Debate 1: Direct to Consumer Advertising: Is It Good for Patients? "The UCSF-Stanford Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science...
2024 ECCHC Supply-Side Economics in Healthcare Conference – Watch Now!
The 2024 ECCHC Supply-side Economics in Healthcare Conference convened both in-person and virtually on Friday, May 3. Watch the full conference, or individual presentations and learn more about the conference here!