Previous empirical studies of the incentive effects of medical malpractice liability have largely ignored the incentives of providers to restructure to protect assets. This study uses a large panel database to provide evidence on asset-shielding responses to the enactment of pro-plaintiff tort...

Multi-unit ownership and branding are separate decisions and non-consumer audiences can affect both. In this study we distinguish between the branding and chaining decisions of nursing homes, while measuring the effects of litigation and labor unions on these decisions. Chaining (independent of...

Medicare does not pay for a skilled nursing facility (SNF) unless a fee-for-service patient has stayed in the hospital for at least three days. Discharges after the three-day cutoff consistently result in more transfers to SNFs. Using the three-day rule as an instrument, we find that SNF...