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...

The government-sponsored Five-Star Quality Rating System (FSQRS) aggregates multiple measures of nursing home quality into a standardized overall rating. Previous research has found that the FSQRS affected consumer demand and correspondingly motivated a strategic shift towards competing for...

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...

Models of horizontal integration typically describe a tradeoff between multi-unit efficiencies and managerial agency costs. In extreme cases where managers cannot be incented contractually private ownership is thought to be the primary organizational substitute. In this paper we explore...