COST-SHARING AND USE OF HEALTH SERVICES IN ITALY: EVIDENCE FROM A FUZZY REGRESSION DISCONTINUITY DESIGN

Michela Ponzo and Vincenzo Scoppa ()

No 201604, Working Papers from Università della Calabria, Dipartimento di Economia, Statistica e Finanza "Giovanni Anania" - DESF

Abstract: We use a Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD) to evaluate the impact of cost-sharing on the use of health services. In the Italian health system, individuals reaching age 65 and earning low incomes are given total exemption from cost-sharing for health services consumption. Since the probability of exemption changes discontinuously at age 65, we use a Fuzzy RDD in which the age threshold is used as an instrument for exemption. We find that prescription drug consumption, specialist visits and diagnostic checks remarkably increase with exemption. However, using several measures of health outcomes we do not find any change in individual health.

Keywords: Health Insurance; Healthcare Demand; Cost-Sharing; Moral Hazard; Health Outcomes; Fuzzy Regression Discontinuity Design; Instrumental Variables (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C26 I10 I11 I13 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 20 pages
Date: 2016-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-hea and nep-ias
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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http://www.ecostat.unical.it/RePEc/WorkingPapers/WP04_2016.pdf First version, 2016-03 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Cost-Sharing and Use of Health Services in Italy: Evidence from a Fuzzy Regression Discontinuity Design (2016)
Working Paper: Cost-Sharing and Use of Health Services in Italy: Evidence from a Fuzzy Regression Discontinuity Design (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:clb:wpaper:201604

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