Katherine Swartz

Katherine Swartz is professor of health economics in the Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health. She is also director of graduate studies for the Harvard Ph.D. Program in Health Policy. Her research interests relate to three issues: people who lack health insurance and how their access to health care might be financed; how insurance companies might protect themselves from the risk that their insured lives may use more dollars of medical care than expected; and how managed care organizations and other third-party payers can create financial incentives to encourage physicians to be cost conscious in making decisions about medical care. In addition, Dr. Swartz is editor of the health policy journal, Inquiry. She received her doctorate in economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.