Like other countries seeking a progressive path to universalism, Peru has attempted to reduce inequalities in access to healthcare by granting the poor entitlement to tax-financed basic care without charge. We identify the impact of this policy by comparing the target populationś change in...

This paper examines the tradeoffs of monitoring for wasteful public spending. By penalizing unnecessary spending, monitoring improves the quality of public expenditure and incentivizes firms to invest in compliance technology. I study a large Medicare program that monitored for unnecessary...

Background: Smoking causes higher incidence of certain diseases and greater severity of most health conditions. Smokers and recent quitters have higher health care utilization than never smokers and long-term quitters; as a result, smoking causes an increase in health care costs. This raises the...

Not a single COVID-19 crisis standard of care allocation plan suggests that life-saving critical care resources should go first to those able to pay or to the oldest in need. Yet, every day we ration healthcare in the United States, and with limited exceptions, care is rationed based on ability...

We examine the effect of publicly provided health care on welfare by combining local level data on public health care, and individual level data on life satisfaction. It is shown that relatively high expenditures in health care have a positive effect on individuals' life satisfaction in our...

In promoting health care reform in 2009, President Obama stated, “when it comes to health care spending, we are on an unsustainable course that threatens the financial stability of families, businesses and government itself.” We are still on that “unsustainable course” thirteen years...

This paper examines, theoretically and empirically, how changes in the demand for health insurance and medical services in the non-Medicare population -- coverage eligibility changes for parents and the firm size composition of employment – spill over and affect health insurance coverage and...

Over the last decade, the U.S. Medicare program has added new billing codes to enhance the financial rewards for Chronic Care Management and Transitional Care Management. We show that the take-up of these new billing codes is gradual and exhibits substantial variations across markets and...

Over the last decade, the U.S. Medicare program has added new billing codes to enhance the financial rewards for Chronic Care Management and Transitional Care Management. We show that the take-up of these new billing codes is gradual and exhibits substantial variations across markets and...