Date of Award
Spring 2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Public Health
First Advisor
Ndumele, Chima
Abstract
The healthcare safety net is a foundational component of the broader US healthcare system. This collection of programs, organizations, and providers was created and structured by policy makers with the primary objective to expand access to high-quality healthcare in traditionally underserved communities. However, it is often unclear whether these policy efforts successfully counteract the systemic profit motives and baseline financial disincentives that are structured against certain patient groups and communities. This dissertation aims to explore the relationship between three sets of economic incentives and their respective policy environments, investigating the associated impacts on the performance and functioning of the safety net. I find that the current menu of policy solutions is often insufficient to overcome the economic incentives fundamental to our healthcare system, often resulting in entrenched or even expanded health disparities. But in certain cases, the multidimensional alignment of policy features can be a potent force to promote health equity. Accordingly, this dissertation challenges the traditional expectations enshrined in and promulgated by policy, presenting new ways of thinking about the safety net.
Recommended Citation
markowski, Justin, "The Impacts of Economic Incentives on the Healthcare Safety Net" (2024). Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations. 1333.
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/gsas_dissertations/1333
