I study how provider incentives, social determinants, and adverse shocks shape health outcomes and healthcare delivery. My work integrates economic theory with experimental and quasi-experimental methods, leveraging large administrative datasets and novel data sources to examine institutional and socio-economic drivers of health.
My research portfolio explores the intersection of health policy, equity, and economics. I examine how financial and organizational factors, alongside social determinants of health and continuity of coverage, influence health equity, care quality, and spending within Medicare and Medicaid. A significant branch of my work investigates the health and economic consequences of large-scale adverse shocks—such as hurricanes—and their impact on healthcare delivery, mental health, and patient behavior. Additionally, I collaborate with the United Nations to test affordable, scalable interventions designed to improve healthcare access and outcomes in low-resource settings globally.
Publications
Civelek Y. The Effect of Hurricanes on Mental Health over the Long Term. Economics & Human Biology. 2023 Dec 1;51:101312.
Khullar D, Schpero WL, Casalino LP, Pierre R, Carter S, Civelek Y, Zhang M, Bond AM. Accountable Care Organization Leader Perspectives on the Medicare Shared Savings Program. JAMA Health Forum 2024 Mar 1 (Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. e240126-e240126).
Parikh RB, Civelek Y, Ozluk P, Debono D, Fisch MJ, Sylwestrzak G, Bekelman JE, Schwartz AL. Trends in Low-Value Cancer Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic. American Journal of Managed Care. 2024 Apr 1;30(4).
Civelek Y, Oakes A, Robinson M, Chi W. Distribution of a Remote Medical Exam Device Associated with an Increase in Telehealth Use. Telemedicine and e-Health. 2024 Apr 1;30(4):e1197-202.
Yu J, Civelek Y, Casalino LP, Jung HY, Zhang M, Pierre R, Khullar D. Audio-Only Telehealth Use Among Traditional Medicare Beneficiaries. JAMA Health Forum 2024 May 3 (Vol. 5, No. 5, pp. e240442-e240442).
Khullar D, Schpero WL, Casalino LP, Pierre R, Carter S, Civelek Y, Zhang M, Bond AM. Meeting The Needs Of Socially Vulnerable Patients: Views Of ACO Leaders On Moving From Intent To Action. Health Affairs. 2024 Aug 1;43(8):1100-8.
Yu J, Civelek Y, Casalino LP, Jung HY, Pierre R, Zhang M, Khullar D. Telehealth Delivery Differs Significantly By Physician And Practice Characteristics. Health Affairs. 2024 Sep 43(9):1311-1318 .
Bond AM, Schpero WL, Civelek Y, Tormohlen KN, Casalino LP, Jones DJ, Zhang M, Pierre R, Khullar D. Changes in Primary Care Practice Setting and Practice Type for Medicare Beneficiaries. JAMA Health Forum 2025 Apr 4 (Vol. 6, No. 4, pp. e250445-e250445)
A.M. Bond, Y.Civelek, W.L. Schpero, L. P. Casalino, M. Zhang, R. Pierre, D. Khullar. Long-term Spending of Accountable Care Organizations in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. JAMA. 2025 June. 333(21), pp.1897-1905.
Schpero WL, Zhang M, Civelek Y. Diagnosed health conditions and health care use among Medicaid expansion enrollees, 2019 and 2022. Health Affairs Scholar. 2025 Sep;3(9)
Ghosh AK, Soroka O, Safford M, Shapiro MF, Wang F, Johnson GD, Civelek Y, DiMaggio C, Abramson D. Hurricane Exposure and Risk of Long-Term Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes. JAMA Network Open. 2025 Sep 2;8(9)
Budhu JA, Elshiekh C, Schpero WL, Civelek Y, Au L, Gany FM. Emergency Medicaid at Risk—Preserving State Authority and Access to Care. New England Journal of Medicine. 2025 Oct 4.
Under Review / Selected Working Papers
“Impact of Insurance Coverage in Adulthood on Later-Life Health Care Spending: Evidence from Linked Administrative Claims Data” ( Y.Civelek & W.L. Schpero)
“Renters in the Eye of the Storm: the Economic and Health Impacts of Hurricane Exposure”
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? The Health Impacts of Hurricanes in the US”
“Accountable Care Organizations Participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Health Care Disparities” (A.M. Bond, Y.Civelek, W.L. Schpero, L. P. Casalino, M. Zhang, R. Pierre, D. Khullar)
“Overcoming Behavioral Impediments to Maternal Care: Experimental Evidence on Domain Knowledge and Nudgeability from Recalcitrant Pakistan” (with R. Cyan, R. Cesur, B. Yedgenov, R. Rothenberg) - NBER Working Paper
“Priming Maternal Care Facilities Through Mentoring: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural Pakistan” (with R. Cyan, R. Cesur, & B. Yedgenov)
RESEARCH GRANTS
The Impact of Insurance Coverage in Adulthood on Later-Life Health Care Spending, Role: Principle Investigator (Co-PI: William Schpero), National Institute for Health Care Management, 2026
awarded as one of ten studies from a pool of 423 competitive proposals
Safety-Net Hospital Closures in the United States: Consequences for Patients and Markets, Role: Co-Investigator (PIs: William Schpero and Paula Chatterjee), Arnold Ventures, 2025-2027
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to the Medicaid Transportation Benefit and Implications for Patient Outcomes, Role: Co-Investigator (PIs: Jamila Michener and William Schpero), R01 MD018178, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, 2023-2027
Health Systems and High-Need Populations: The Effect of Vertical Integration on Utilization, Spending, and Quality for Medically Complex Patients, Role: Co-Investigator (PIs: Amelia Bond and Dhruv Khullar), R01 HS29012, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2023-2027