Erin Duffy is an expert in healthcare economics, healthcare costs and policy, surprise medical billing and debt, and healthcare provider payment practices. With a focus on the U.S. healthcare market, Professor Duffy analyzes cost drivers, market pricing dynamics, and the financial impact of medical billing on patients, providers, and insurers.
Professor Duffy has been retained as an expert witness in matters related to out-of-network emergency room services in the context of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She has provided deposition and arbitration testimony.
Research on surprise medical billing, market dynamics, and health policy
Professor Duffy’s current research explores how uninsured and underinsured patients navigate planning and paying for healthcare services. She has analyzed the impact of the No Surprises Act on the prevalence and magnitude of surprise medical bills, including air ambulance and other emergency medical services. Professor Duffy has also evaluated the impact of surprise billing regulations on the long-term repayment behaviors of individuals facing high hospital bills, as well as commercial out-of-pocket spending trends.
In other work, Professor Duffy has conducted qualitative and quantitative studies of health systems’ performance, organizational health system integration, physician compensation models, and socioeconomic and racial variations in healthcare access.
Peer-reviewed publications, regulatory citations, and professional awards
Professor Duffy has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in leading medical and health policy journals, including Health Affairs, JAMA Internal Medicine, and the American Journal of Managed Care. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have cited her work in their publications.
News media such as CBS, NBC, NPR, the New York Times, and TIME have featured Professor Duffy’s scholarship. In 2025, the Boston Congress of Public Health honored her with its 40 Under 40 Public Health Catalyst Award. In 2024, STAT News named her a STAT Wunderkind, awarded annually to next-generation superstars in biotechnology and life sciences.
Health economics teaching and institutional experience
Professor Duffy has lectured on healthcare and health economics topics at the USC Marshall School of Business, the USC Price School of Public Policy, and the USC School of Pharmacy.
Before joining USC, Professor Duffy worked at the RAND Corporation, first as a doctoral fellow and subsequently as a policy researcher. She previously served as principal statistician at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.