Wes Yin

Wes Yin is a Professor of Strategy at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and Professor of Economics at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. He also holds affiliations as a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a Faculty Affiliate at the Jameel Poverty Action Lab at MIT.

Yin's research focuses on health care, consumer finance, and economic inequality. His recent work studies competition and market power, and the links between health care financing and consumer financial health and well-being. His publications appear in leading economics and policy outlets including the Quarterly Journal of Economics, American Economic Review, JAMA, and Health Affairs, with coverage in major media outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, and Bloomberg.

• Ph.D. Economics, 2005, Princeton University
• M.A. Economics, 2002, Princeton University
• B.S. Economics, 2000, University of Maryland, College Park
• B.A. Mathematics, 1999, University of Maryland, College Park

Yin's recent work shows a strong emphasis on medical debt, healthcare access, and the intersection of health economics with consumer financial health. His studies often employ rigorous experimental methods and have direct policy implications, particularly regarding healthcare financing and insurance market design. His research on medical debt relief represents cutting-edge work in understanding how financial interventions impact healthcare utilization and consumer welfare.

Yin has held significant government positions including Chief Economist of the White House Office of Management and Budget (2023-24) and Acting Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy in the Department of the Treasury during the Obama Administration. Prior to his government service, he was an assistant professor at the University of Chicago and Boston University, and a Robert Wood Johnson Scholar in Health Policy at Harvard University.