Code and Data for: Reducing Medical Spending of the Publicly Insured: The Case for a Cash-Out Option

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Svetlana Pashchenko, University of Georgia; Ponpoje Porapakkarm, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
  FortranCode 10/26/2021 12:02:PM
  HRScode 10/26/2021 12:02:PM
  MEPScode 10/26/2021 12:02:PM
  PSIDcode 10/26/2021 12:02:PM
README.pdf application/pdf 378.5 KB 11/17/2019 05:29:PM

Project Citation: 

Pashchenko, Svetlana, and Porapakkarm, Ponpoje. Code and Data for: Reducing Medical Spending of the Publicly Insured: The Case for a Cash-Out Option. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2019. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2019-12-06. https://doi.org/10.3886/E115603V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary Individuals' medical spending has both necessary and discretionary components, which are not, however, separately observable. This paper studies ways to improve upon existing public health insurance policies by using a framework where both the discretionary and necessary components of medical spending are explicitly modeled. First, using a simple theoretical framework, the paper shows that the key to reducing discretionary medical spending is to introduce a trade-off between nonmedical and medical consumption. Next, using a rich quantitative life-cycle model, the paper shows that this trade-off can be successfully implemented by introducing an option to substitute public health insurance with cash transfers.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms Computational Code of the paper
JEL Classification:  View help for JEL Classification
      D91 Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
      G22 Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
      H51 National Government Expenditures and Health
      I13 Health Insurance, Public and Private
      I18 Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
      I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) program source code


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V1 [2019-12-06]

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