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M. Kate Bundorf

J. Alexander McMahon Distinguished Professor of Health Policy and Management
Sanford School of Public Policy
Box 90312, Durham, NC 27708
278 Rubenstein Hall, Box 90312, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Professor Bundorf’s research focuses on health policy and the economics of health care systems. She has studied public and private health insurance markets, the organization of health care providers, and consumer decision making in health care. Prior to joining the faculty at Duke, Professor Bundorf was an associate professor of health research and policy at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She is also a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Bundorf received her MBA and MPH from The University of California at Berkeley and her PhD from The Wharton School. She was a Fulbright Lecturer at Fudan School of Public Health in Shanghai, China during 2009 and 2010. Her research has been published in leading economic and health policy journals and has received funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She received the 13th Annual Health Care Research Award from The National Institute for Health Care Management in 2007.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


J. Alexander McMahon Distinguished Professor of Health Policy and Management · 2021 - Present Sanford School of Public Policy
Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy · 2021 - Present Sanford School of Public Policy
Faculty Director of Research in the Sanford School of Public Policy · 2024 - Present Sanford School of Public Policy
Professor in Population Health Sciences · 2023 - Present Population Health Sciences, Basic Science Departments
Core Faculty Member, Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy · 2024 - Present Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy, University Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published August 18, 2025
Search Committee for Next Dean of Sanford School of Public Policy
Published July 17, 2025
Female Doctors May Face Unfair Ratings, According to Fuqua Study
Published June 28, 2021
Duke Awards 22 Distinguished Professorships

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Recent Publications


Postpartum Medicaid Use in Birthing Parents and Access to Financed Care.

Journal Article Obstet Gynecol Surv · December 1, 2025 (Abstracted from JAMA Health Forum 2025;6(6):e251630) Medicaid covers more than 40% of all births in the United States, but pregnancy-related physical and mental health coverage traditionally ends 60 days postpartum. Recognizing the limitations of this pol ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Role of Telehealth Payment Parity on Recommended Care and Emergency Department Service Utilization Among Workers With Chronic Conditions.

Journal Article Medical care · October 2025 Background and objectiveState-level telehealth payment parity, requiring equal payment rates for telehealth and in-person visits, played an important role in ensuring access to telehealth services. The objective of our study is to evaluate how imp ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Hospital Competition, Vertical Integration, and Participation in Value-Based Payment Programs

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation · 2025 - 2026

Effects of Negotiated Price Transparency Regulations: Evidence from Hospital Prices

ResearchMentor · Awarded by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality · 2023 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of Pennsylvania · 1999 Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley · 1994 M.B.A.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor · 1989 B.A.