FOCUS
Inequities in health and healthcare are dynamic and shaped by changes in markets, social conditions, and policies. Alexander’s work is focused on examining the heterogeneous impacts of such changes on health disparities and identifying potential solutions. To achieve this, he draws on theoretical perspectives from the social sciences and leverages methods from health policy, economics, and data science. His current research focuses on disparities in quality of care and accrual of medical debt. Altogether, he hopes to contribute toward building a Culture of Health through enhancing understanding of how and why inequities manifest in our healthcare system and identifying multilevel policies and interventions to mitigate and prevent these issues in the future.
MORE ABOUT ALEXANDER
Born to Filipino immigrants in New York, Alexander works toward improving health inequities through his work both in academia and the community. Shaped by barriers to care experienced by his loved ones, his research aims to bring interdisciplinary perspectives and methods to understanding the drivers of and solutions to health disparities.
DISSERTATION GRANT AWARDEE — WINTER 2025
Impacts of Hospital Market Changes and Consumer Protections on Patient Welfare
Given ongoing trends in the commercialization of healthcare, financial incentives for hospitals and health systems may actively work against the welfare of patients, creating inequities. This dissertation award funds a two part dissertation focused on this topic. The first study examines how medical debt changed after the implementation of state surprise billing protections before the No Surprises Act. The second study analyzes how the impacts of hospital market consolidation on quality and safety may differ across different patient populations.
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