TY  - JOUR
AU  - Shigeoka, Hitoshi
TI  - The Effect of Patient Cost Sharing on Utilization, Health, and Risk Protection
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 19726
PY  - 2013
Y2  - December 2013
DO  - 10.3386/w19726
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w19726
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w19726.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Hitoshi Shigeoka
Department of Economics
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive, WMC 4653
Barnaby, BC V5A 1S6
CANADA
Tel: 778/782-5348
E-Mail: hitoshi_shigeoka@sfu.ca
M3  - presented at "Measuring and Modeling Health Care Costs", October 18-19, 2013
AB  - This paper exploits a sharp reduction in patient cost sharing at age 70 in Japan, using a regression discontinuity design to examine its effect on utilization, health, and financial risk arising from out-of-pocket expenditures. Due to the national policy, cost sharing is 60-80 percent lower at age 70 than at age 69. I find that both outpatient and inpatient care are price sensitive among the elderly. While I find little impact on mortality and other health outcomes, the results show that reduced cost sharing is associated with lower out-of-pocket expenditures, especially at the right tail of the distribution.
ER  -