PhD Candidate: Shubhsri Rajendra 

Dissertation Title: “Essays in Health Economics”

Abstract: 

This dissertation comprises three chapters, all of which are connected by a common theme: the role of public policy in influencing health behaviors and addressing disparities in health outcomes.

The first chapter examines the effectiveness of a national media campaign in India—Beti Bachao Beti Padhao—in improving the child sex ratio (CSR). Using a regression discontinuity design, it evaluates whether districts that received the intervention experienced measurable changes in CSR, and finds that the campaign had positive, statistically significant effects, but only in less populated districts with higher per-capita funding and longer exposure to treatment.

The second chapter investigates racial and ethnic disparities in the follow-up to prostate cancer screening in the United States. It uses insurance claims data to assess whether men of different races and ethnicities receive equal access to prostate biopsies or MRI testing following elevated PSA levels. The study finds that while Black men are slightly more likely to receive follow-up testing than White men, Hispanic and Asian men are less likely to receive such care, highlighting potential inequities in diagnostic follow-up.

The third chapter compares lung cancer screening eligibility and use between individuals enrolled in commercial insurance, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage. It shows that even when eligibility is held constant, actual screening rates differ significantly by insurance type, raising questions about the equity and efficiency of screening delivery across different payer systems.

Together, these studies illustrate how targeted policies and systemic factors shape the distribution of health outcomes and access to care, offering insights into how interventions can be better designed and implemented to promote health equity.

Committee:

Dr Jason Lindo (Co-Chair), Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr Daniel Dench (Co-Chair), Assistant Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr Karen Yan, Assistant Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr Robert Gonzalez, Associate Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr Danny R Hughes, Professor, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University

Date: 7/16/2025 

Location: OCE 204

Time: 12PM

Online link: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/6336419186?omn=99573863995