Research

Publications, working papers, and selected research projects.

My research examines how economic conditions and health-system design affect health, healthcare use, quality of life, and financial protection, with related work on loneliness, social isolation, and mental health.

Themes

Socioeconomic inequality in health
Gradients in health outcomes, healthcare utilisation, and financial protection.

Healthcare access and financing
Insurance coverage, provider payment, financial barriers, stigma, and treatment gaps.

Mental health and social connection
Loneliness, social isolation, health utility, and healthcare use.

Policy evaluation
Applied empirical work on health-system reforms and public programs.

Publications

Publication list refreshed from Google Scholar and cross-checked against DOI or Monash profile records where available.

  • Rizal, M. F., Mihalopoulos, C., Clifford, S., Earnest, A., Hamilton, M. P., Le, L. K. D., Lim, M. H., & Engel, L. (2025). Health utility decrements associated with social isolation and loneliness: Evidence from Australian longitudinal data. Value in Health. doi:10.1016/j.jval.2025.10.006
  • Kunz, J. S., Trinh, T.-A., Berk, M., Earnest, A., Engel, L., Hamilton, M., Hayes, L., Khanh-Dao Le, L., Lim, M., Rizal, F., Skouteris, H., Shields, M. A., & Mihalopoulos, C. (2025). Are recessions bad for loneliness? Social Science & Medicine, 384, 118500. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118500
  • Engel, L., Rizal, M. F., Clifford, S., Faller, J., Lim, M. H., Le, L. K. D., Chatterton, M. L., & Mihalopoulos, C. (2025). An updated systematic literature review of the economic costs of loneliness and social isolation and the cost effectiveness of interventions. PharmacoEconomics, 43(9), 1047-1063. doi:10.1007/s40273-025-01516-w
  • Rizal, M. F. (2025). Public health insurance and healthcare utilisation decisions of young adults. Health Economics, 34(3), 500-517. doi:10.1002/hec.4922
  • Rizal, M. F., Hafidz, F., Kusila, G. R., Aisyiah, W., Revelino, D., Dhanalvin, E., Oktavia, A., Ilyasa, Jaya, C., Saut, B., & Ruby, M. (2024). Hospital services utilisation and cost before and after COVID-19 hospital treatment: Evidence from Indonesia. PLOS ONE, 19(7), e0305835. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0305835
  • Hafidz, F., Icanervilia, A. V., Rizal, M. F., Listiani, P., Setiyaningsih, H., Sasanti, M. L., Ekawati, F. M., Thobari, J. A., Utami, T. W., Trirahmanto, A., Tjokroprawiro, B. A., Harsono, A. B., Masytoh, L. S., Haryani, W., Subekti, Y., & Nadjib, M. (2024). Economic evaluation of cervical cancer screening by HPV DNA, VIA, and Pap smear methods in Indonesia. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 25(9), 3015-3022. doi:10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.9.3015
  • Rizal, M. F., Black, N., Johnston, D. W., & Sweeney, R. (2023). Long-term health effects of a school construction program. Health Economics, 32(8), 1670-1688. doi:10.1002/hec.4683
  • Hafidz, F., & Rizal, M. F. (2022). Analisis efisiensi fasilitas kesehatan: aplikasi menggunakan software R. UGM Press.
  • Rizal, M. F., & van Doorslaer, E. (2019). Explaining the fall of socioeconomic inequality in childhood stunting in Indonesia. SSM - Population Health, 9, 100469. doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100469

Working Papers

Mental Healthcare Access and the Treatment Gap in Indonesia

With David Johnston, Nicole Black, and Rohan Sweeney. Centre for Health Economics Working Paper 2024-16. Working paper.

This paper examines how wealth, education, and health insurance coverage influence mental healthcare access among adults with probable depression. Using data from more than 400,000 adults, the study documents a large treatment gap: only 9.3% of those identified as having probable depression receive treatment. Wealth and health insurance are positively associated with mental healthcare utilisation, while education is not. The findings point to the importance of reducing financial barriers and stigma in addressing the mental health treatment gap.

Provider Payment and Dentist Referral Behaviour

With Fahmi Alfian, Dedy Siregar, and colleagues from Indonesia Social Security Agency for Health.

This project studies a pilot payment reform in Indonesia’s National Health Insurance system that allowed non-specialist dentists to perform root canal treatment for non-complicated cases with an additional case-based payment. The pilot was conducted between August 2021 and January 2022 with 142 dentists in 12 districts. Using a difference-in-differences approach, the study compares patient visits and referrals among participating dentists with other dentists not involved in the pilot.

How Do Governments Decide the Value of Life?

With Emily Lancsar and Andini Pramono.

Systematic review of the official use of Value of Statistical Life in policymaking.

Other Research Projects