Women Left Behind: Gender Disparities in Utilization of Government Health Insurance in India

Pascaline Dupas and Radhika Jain

American Economic Review, 2024, vol. 114, issue 10, 3345-85

Abstract: We document large gender disparities within a government program that entitles 46 million poor individuals to free hospital care. We show that care is not free in practice and higher costs are associated with larger disparities. Lowering care costs increases female utilization but does not reduce gender disparities because marginal beneficiaries are as likely to be male as inframarginals. Long-term exposure to local female leaders reduces disparities by addressing factors lowering female care. In the presence of gender bias, subsidizing social services may fail to address gender inequalities without actions that specifically target females.

JEL-codes: H51 I12 I13 I14 J16 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Working Paper: Women Left Behind: Gender Disparities in Utilization of Government Health Insurance in India (2021)
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DOI: 10.1257/aer.20230521

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