We use a Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD) to evaluate the impact of cost-sharing on the use of health services. In … the Italian health system, individuals reaching age 65 and earning low incomes are given total exemption from cost …-sharing for health services consumption. Since the probability of exemption changes discontinuously at age 65, we use a Fuzzy RDD …

cost sharing have higher levels of health care spending, controlling for past health care use. We estimate demand … elasticities of total health care spending among this low-income population of approximately -0.12, suggesting that demand …-side price mechanisms in health insurance design work similarly for low-income and higher-income individuals. We also find that …

, advanced imaging, and surgeries). Using a differences-in-differences design coupled with granular, administrative health …