Behavioral Economics, Law, and Health Policy

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We also liveblogged the full event at Bill of Health throughout the conference on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3! Check it out here!

Registrants can access conference materials via Dropbox here.

Conference Description

Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein’s book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness brought behavioral economics to the masses, beginning a discussion of libertarian paternalism and the many ways that “choice architects” can help nudge people to make better choices for themselves without forcing certain outcomes on anyone. Some of their examples fall in the realm of health policy, as is also the case of Daniel Kahneman’s recent book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, which examines various cognitive errors people make in their judgments, choices, and conclusions, as well as how we might correct them. But the conversation has only just begun.

Building on the success of the behavioral economics movement, this conference further developed the scholarly discussion by focusing on key issues in health law policy, bioethics, and biotechnology by addressing both broad conceptual questions and more specific policy applications.

Conference Schedule

Note: All keynote, plenary, and panel sessions included time for Q & A.

Friday, May 2, 2014

8:30 – 9:00am: Registration & Breakfast

9:00 – 9:15am: Welcome

9:15 – 10:15am: Keynote

10:15 – 10:30am: Break

10:30 – 11:50am: Panel 1, The Ethics of Nudges in Health Care

11:50am – 12:15pm: Break to Pick Up Lunch

12:15 – 12:45pm: Lunchtime Plenary

12:45 – 1:45pm: Panel 2, Potential Problems and Limits of Nudges in Health Care

1:45 – 2:00pm: Break

​2:00 – 3:45pm: Panel 3, Behavioral Economics and Healthcare Costs

​3:45 – 4:00pm: Break

4:00 – 4:45pm: Panel 4, Crowding Out

Saturday, May 3, 2014

8:30 – 9:00am: Registration & Breakfast

9:00 – 9:30am: Plenary

9:30 – 10:30am: Panel 5, Behavioral Economics and the Doctor-Patient Relationship

​10:30 – 10:45am: Break

10:45am – 12:30pm: Panel 6, Deciding for Patients and Letting Patients Decide for Themselves

​12:30 – 1:00pm: Break to Pick Up Lunch

1:00 – 2:00pm: Lunchtime Plenary

2:00 – 3:00pm: Panel 7, Defaults in Health Care

3:00pm: Closing Remarks

This event was supported by the Oswald DeN. Cammann Fund.