About me

I am a Behavioral Economist at Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield. I obtained my Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Florida. My research interests span the two fields of health economics and health policy and applied microeconomics with a focus on consumer behavior.

My most recent paper focuses on the family spillovers effect on healthcare consumption. By exploiting an unpredictable shock, a heart attack, to a family member, I draw a causal link to their dependents’ average medical expenditures. The results show that family spillovers increase non-injured family members’ healthcare consumption due to behavioral changes where risks and consequences of health events are shared and transmitted in the family. In my job market paper, I focused on the role of risk perception in explaining changes in individual spending in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic and the mechanism behind such a relationship. Another part of my research focuses on the socially optimal treatment and health expenditures under uncertainties in patient numbers.

At the University of Florida, I was working as an instructor for Managerial Economics while working on my doctorate research. This experience improved my ability to interact effectively and collegially with people at all levels.

• dilanalpergin@gmail.com
• 352-871-6314