2021/02/03 by Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, Goldsmith-Pinkham, Paul, Maxim Pinkovskiy +3
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Health Professions · #Applications (stat.AP) #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Economics and business #General Economics (econ.GN) #Global Health Care Issues #Healthcare Policy and Management #Healthcare Systems and Reforms
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2102.02142
openalex publication_date 2021/02/03 · openalex created_date 2023/05/17 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We use a five percent sample of Americans' credit bureau data, combined with\na regression discontinuity approach, to estimate the effect of universal health\ninsurance at age 65-when most Americans become eligible for Medicare-at the\nnational, state, and local level. We find a 30 percent reduction in debt\ncollections-and a two-thirds reduction in the geographic variation in\ncollections-with limited effects on other financial outcomes. The areas that\nexperienced larger reductions in collections debt at age 65 were concentrated\nin the Southern United States, and had higher shares of black residents, people\nwith disabilities, and for-profit hospitals.\n