After Midnight: A Regression Discontinuity Design in Length of Postpartum Hospital Stays

Douglas Almond and Joseph J. Doyle

American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2011, vol. 3, issue 3, pages 1-34

Abstract: Estimates of moral hazard in health insurance markets can be confounded by adverse selection. This paper considers a plausibly exogenous source of variation in insurance coverage for childbirth in California. We find that additional health insurance coverage induces substantial extensions in length of hospital stay for mother and newborn. However, remaining in the hospital longer has no effect on readmissions or mortality, and the estimates are precise. Our results suggest that for uncomplicated births, minimum insurance mandates incur substantial costs without detectable health benefits. (JEL D82, G22, I12, I18, J13)

JEL-codes: D82 G22 I12 I18 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
Note: DOI: 10.1257/pol.3.3.1
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations View citations in EconPapers (1) Track citations by RSS feed

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/pol.3.3.1 (application/pdf)
http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/pol/data/2010-0190_data.zip (application/zip)
http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/pol/app/2010-0190_app.pdf (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to AEA members and institutional subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:3:y:2011:i:3:p:1-34

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.aeaweb.org/subscribe.html

Access Statistics for this article

American Economic Journal: Economic Policy is edited by Alan J. Auerbach

More articles in American Economic Journal: Economic Policy from American Economic Association
Contact information at EDIRC.
Series data maintained by Jane Voros ().