The effects of patient cost-sharing on health expenditure and health among older people: Heterogeneity across income groups.

ABSTRACT: Despite rapidly rising health expenditure associated with population aging, empirical evidence on the effects of cost-sharing on older people is still limited. This study estimated the effects of cost-sharing on the utilization of healthcare and health among older people, the most intensive users of healthcare. We employed a regression discontinuity design by exploiting a drastic reduction in the coinsurance rate from 30 to 10% at age 70 in Japan. We used large administrative claims data as well as income information at the individual level provided by a municipality. Using the claims data with 1,420,252 person-month observations for health expenditure, we found that reduced cost-sharing modestly increased outpatient expenditure, with an implied price elasticity of  - 0.07. When examining

SUBMITTER: Kato H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9170661 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature