Biography
Vivian Ho, Ph.D., is the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics, a professor in the Department of Economics at Rice University, a professor in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and a nonresident Senior Scholar in the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. Ho’s research examines the effects of economic incentives and regulations on the quality and costs of health care. Her research is widely published in economics, medical and health services research journals. Ho’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the American Cancer Society and Arnold Ventures.
Ho has served on the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Center for Health Statistics, as well as on the NIH Health Services, Outcomes and Delivery study section. She was elected as a member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2020. Ho is also a founding board member of the American Society for Health Economists, a board member for Community Health Choice and a member of the Community Advisory Board at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. Ho received her A.B. in economics from Harvard University, a graduate diploma in economics from The Australian National University and a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.
Contact at [email protected] or 713-348-2195.
Recent Publications
NPR: CEOs earn big bucks at nonprofit hospitals. But does that benefit patients?
"Nearly half of hospitals in the U.S. are nonprofits, which means they don’t pay local, state or federal taxes. In return, the hospitals provide medical care, a social benefit, to their communities."
On Houston Public Media: Ho discusses healthcare prices in Houston
Houston Public Media hosted Vivian Ho to discuss her co-authored report that compared price and quality at Houston-area hospitals. It suggested hospitals with a higher cost may not necessarily provide better quality care.
More People Are Delaying Medical Care Due to Cost, Federal Reserve Finds
“Because of inflation, I think people have to make tough choices,” Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics, said. “They have to decide, am I going to pay the rent? Am I going to buy food? Or am I going to get medical care that I could have now or later?”
External Publications
Interviews