Inter-brand competition in the convenience store industry, store density and healthcare utilization

Hung-Hao Chang and Chad Meyerhoefer

Journal of Health Economics, 2019, vol. 65, issue C, 117-132

Abstract: We investigate the impact of access to convenience stores and competition between convenience store chains on the use of medical care in Taiwan. Using insurance claims from 0.85 million individuals and administrative data on store sales, we find that greater store density and more inter-brand competition reduced expenditures on outpatient medical services and prescription drugs. In support of these findings, we demonstrate that convenience store competition was associated with greater consumption of healthy foods and lower obesity rates. Our estimates suggest that the rise in convenience store competition from 2002 to 2012 reduced outpatient expenditures in Taiwan by 0.44 percent and prescription drug expenditures by 0.85 percent.

Keywords: Medical expenditure; Inter-brand competition; Food density; Convenience store industry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H51 I12 L81 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Working Paper: Inter-brand Competition in the Convenience Store Industry, Store Accessibility and Healthcare Utilization (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:65:y:2019:i:c:p:117-132

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2019.03.001

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