Publications
Publications
- September, 2022
- American Economic Review: Insights
The Impact of Financial Assistance Programs on Health Care Utilization: Evidence from Kaiser Permanente
By: Alyce S. Adams, Raymond Kluender, Neale Mahoney, Jinglin Wang, Francis Wong and Wesley Yin
Abstract
Most hospitals have financial assistance programs for low-income patients. We use administrative data from Kaiser Permanente to study the effects of financial assistance on health care utilization. Using a regression discontinuity design based on an income threshold for program eligibility, we find that financial assistance increases the likelihood of inpatient, ambulatory, and emergency department encounters by 3.6 pp (59 percent), 13.4 pp (20 percent), and 6.7 pp (53 percent), respectively, though effects dissipate three quarters after program receipt. Financial assistance also increases the detection and management of treatment-sensitive conditions (e.g., drugs treating diabetes), suggesting that financial assistance may increase receipt of high-value care.
Keywords
Healthcare; Utilization; Financial Assistance; Health Care and Treatment; Social Issues; Poverty; Health Industry
Citation
Adams, Alyce S., Raymond Kluender, Neale Mahoney, Jinglin Wang, Francis Wong, and Wesley Yin. "The Impact of Financial Assistance Programs on Health Care Utilization: Evidence from Kaiser Permanente." American Economic Review: Insights 4, no. 3 (September, 2022): 389–407.