Do waiting times reduce hospital costs?
Using a sample of 137 hospitals over the period 1998-2002 in the English National Health Service, we estimate the elasticity of hospital costs with respect to waiting times. Our cross-sectional and panel-data results suggest that at the sample mean (103 days), waiting times have no significant effect on hospitals' costs or, at most, a positive one. If significant, the elasticity of cost with respect to waiting time from our cross-sectional estimates is in the range 0.4-1. The elasticity is still positive but lower in our fixed-effects specifications (0.2-0.4). In all specifications, the effect of waiting time on cost is non-linear, suggesting a U-shaped relationship between hospital costs and waiting times. However, the level of waiting time which minimises total costs is always below ten days.
Year of publication: |
2009
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Authors: | Siciliani, Luigi ; Stanciole, Anderson ; Jacobs, Rowena |
Published in: |
Journal of Health Economics. - Elsevier, ISSN 0167-6296. - Vol. 28.2009, 4, p. 771-780
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Publisher: |
Elsevier |
Subject: | Waiting times Costs Hospitals |
Saved in:
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