Amy Finkelstein

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Amy Finkelstein is a leading health economist whose work illuminates the intersection of public policy, health insurance, and economic inequality. Her research focuses on how the design of health insurance markets and employer-based coverage shapes labor market outcomes and household welfare. In her highly influential paper, "The Health Wedge and Labor Market Inequality" (2023), Finkelstein examines how employer-sponsored health insurance creates a flat "head tax" per worker, regardless of earnings. Through a calibrated labor market model, she demonstrates how this uniquely American arrangement distorts wages, exacerbates income inequality, and reduces labor market efficiency. Though recent, this work has already garnered over 11 citations, reflecting its immediate impact on policy debates. Finkelstein is a MacArthur Fellow, a recipient of the John Bates Clark Medal, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine. Her broader contributions include pioneering research on moral hazard in health insurance, the economic effects of Medicaid expansions, and the long-term health consequences of insurance coverage. For students and researchers, Finkelstein’s work offers a rigorous, data-driven lens on how health policy shapes economic opportunity and inequality in America.