Konsta Lavaste

Konsta Lavaste is a Senior Researcher at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), specializing in health economics and policy impact evaluation. He works within the Health and Social Service System Research unit under the Welfare State Research department in the Healthcare and Social Welfare division of THL.

His educational background includes:

• PhD candidate in Economics at the University of Jyväskylä (2017–present)
• Master of Science in Economics from the University of Jyväskylä (2017)

Lavaste's research focuses on health economics, particularly examining voluntary private health insurance within universal public healthcare systems, policy impact evaluation, and healthcare financing mechanisms. His work often employs quasi-experimental methods to analyze healthcare reforms and their effects on efficiency, competition, and service provision.

Lavaste has published research on patient choice reforms, overuse of medical imaging, and the role of private health insurance in Finland's healthcare system. His research shows a consistent focus on understanding how different healthcare financing and delivery models affect efficiency, quality, and access to care.

Lavaste has professional experience spanning multiple prestigious institutions:

• Senior Researcher at Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) (2024–present)
• Researcher at Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) (2023–2024)
• Doctoral researcher at University of Jyväskylä (2019–2021)
• Economist at Bank of Finland, Institute for Emerging Economies (2017–2018)
• Research assistant at VATT Institute for Economic Research (2016)