Benjamin Ukert

Benjamin Ukert

Associate Professor, Economics

Graduate Advisor of Record MS ECO and MSBR

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Bio

Benjamin D. Ukert’s research focuses on healthcare providers and health insurance markets. His recent work studies hospitals and freestanding emergency departments and describes how they operate, who they treat and how they affect patients’ health. Other work studied how changes in public and private insurance programs, including federal health care reform and state policies, affect health insurance enrollment, access to care and health.

Before joining UT San Antonio in 2026, he was an assistant professor of health economics at Texas A&M University and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ukert received a PhD and MA in economics from the Georgia State University, and bachelor degrees in economics and finance from University of North Florida.

Teaching

  • Health economics
  • Health insurance

Research Interests

  • Commercial health insurance
  • Hospital care
  • Health policy

Degrees

  • PhD Georgia State University
  • MA Georgia State University
  • BBA University of North Florida

Publications

"Opioid Abuse and Employment Outcomes: Evidence from the  U.S. Military," with A. Alpert and S. Schwab, Review of Economics and Statistics, accepted.

“The Corporatization of Independent Hospitals," with E. Andreyeva, A. Gupta, and C. Ishitani, Journal of Political Economy: Microeconomics, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 602-663.

"Pandemic-Era Changes to Medicaid Enrollment and Funding: Implications for Future Policy and Research," with L. Dague, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 1229-1259.

"How Do "Must Access" Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Address Opioid Misuse?" with D. Polsky, American Journal of Health Economics, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 374-404.

"The Effect of Predictive Analytics-Driven Interventions on Healthcare Utilization," with G. David and A. Smith-McLallen, Journal of Health Economics, Vol. 64, pp. 68-79.

"The Effect of Smoking on Obesity: Evidence from a Randomized Trial," with C. Courtemanche and R. Tchernis, Journal of Health Economics, 2017, Vol. 57, pp. 31-44.

"Changes in Emergency Department Payer Mix Among Children Following Medicaid Unwinding in Texas," with T. Giannouchos, N. Khodakarami, D. Marthey, and L. Dague,  Health Services Research, Vol. 61, No. 1.

“Colorado Insulin Copay Cap: Lower Out-Of-Pocket Payments, Increased Prescription Volume And Days Supply," with T., Giannouchos and T. Buchmueller, Health Affairs, Vol. 43, No. 8, pp. 1147-1155.

"Who Do Freestanding Emergency Departments Treat? Comparing Texas Hospitals to Satellite and Independent Freestanding Departments in 2021 and 2022," with D. Marthey and M. Ramy, Health Services Research, Vol. 59, No. 4: e14304.