February 18, 2025
James Bailey’s healthcare research featured in the 2025 Economic Report of the President
By Martha Young
James Bailey, Ph.D., associate professor of economics, has received national recognition for his research. His study, Health Insurance and the Supply of Entrepreneurs: New Evidence from the Affordable Care Act, is cited in the 2025 Economic Report of the President in a chapter focused on expanding and strengthening healthcare coverage in the U.S.
The Economic Report of the President is an annual report released by the Council of Economic Advisers that assesses the nation’s economic progress and outlines the administration’s economic policies. Each year, the president submits the report to Congress, providing insights that help shape economic decision-making.
Bailey’s research explores how access to health insurance affects entrepreneurship. He highlights the importance of having reliable healthcare options for those who work for smaller businesses or for themselves.
“It is valuable for Americans to have a reliable way to get health insurance that doesn’t require them to work full-time for a large employer,” Bailey said. “The Affordable Care Act’s combination of regulations and subsidies has been one way to achieve this. Simply repealing it without offering a serious replacement would lead to less self-employment.”
Bailey specializes in health economics, health insurance, labor economics, entrepreneurship, and regulation. This marks the second time his work has been cited in the Economic Report of the President. His earlier research, Regulating Away Competition: The Effect of Regulation on Entrepreneurship and Employment, was featured in the 2018 report.
For Bailey, who has been a member of the PC faculty since 2017, having his research cited by two presidential administrations and recognized beyond academia is rewarding.
“Most economists these days spend our time doing the equivalent of looking into a microscope trying to answer one tiny question very accurately,” Bailey said. “The Economic Report of the President is a nice annual opportunity to step back and look at the big picture of what is happening in the U.S. economy.”
