US state health expenditure convergence: A revisited analysis

Jesus Clemente Lopez, Angelina Lázaro-Alquézar and Antonio Montañés

Economic Modelling, 2019, vol. 83, issue C, 210-220

Abstract: This paper studies the evolution of US state health expenditure for a sample that covers 1966–2014. Our results provide evidence against the existence of a single pattern of behavior of personal health care expenditure across the US states. Rather, we can observe the existence of two statistically different convergence clubs. We cannot find evidence of convergence when we disaggregate health expenditure into its three main payers: Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance expenditure, whilst we again find evidence of convergence clubs. However, the estimated clubs for Medicaid and private health insurance expenditure are statistically different that estimated for total health expenditure. Consequently, our results offer strong evidence of heterogeneity in the evolution of US health expenditure. The analysis of the forces that drive club creation shows that economic situation and some supply-side factors are important. We can also appreciate that some healthcare outcome variables are only related to private insurance health expenditure. The other health expenditures, thus, show a certain lack of efficiency which may be due to practices that have little benefit for patient health.

Keywords: Convergence analysis; Phillips-sul; Health expenditure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C22 I10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:83:y:2019:i:c:p:210-220

DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2019.02.011

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