This paper investigates the effects of China's New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) on health outcomes and health care expenditure of the elderly in rural China, using panel data from the 2005 and 2008 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. We employ a strategy that...

Using high-quality Finnish register data and a regression discontinuity approach, we study the health effects of reaching the legal drinking ages of 18 and 20. Our results show that at age 18, when beer, wine, and car driving become legal, mortality and hospitalizations increase discontinuously,...

The ‘basic’ approach to 'catastrophic' medical expenses (where expenses are related to consumption or income) indicates whether expenses cause a large percentage reduction in living standards. By contrast, the 'ability-to-pay approach' (where expenses are related to consumption or income...

Using high-quality Finnish register data and a regression discontinuity approach, we study the health effects of reaching the legal drinking ages of 18 and 20. Our results show that at age 18, when beer, wine, and car driving become legal, mortality and hospitalizations increase discontinuously,...