Health Care Management Papers
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
8-2012
Publication Source
Health Economics
Volume
21
Issue
8
Start Page
1030
Last Page
1036
DOI
10.1002/hec.1772
Abstract
Delays in receipt of necessary diagnostic and therapeutic medical procedures related to the timing of Medicare initiation at age 65 years have potentially broad welfare implications. We use 2005–2007 data from Florida and North Carolina to estimate the effect of initiation of Medicare benefits on healthcare utilization across procedures that differ in urgency and coverage. In particular, we study trends in the use of elective procedures covered by Medicare to treat conditions that vary in symptoms; these are compared with elective surgical procedures not eligible for Medicare reimbursement, and to a set of urgent and emergent procedures. We find large discontinuities in health services utilization at age 65 years concentrated among low urgency, Medicare‐reimbursable procedures, most pronounced among screening interventions and treatments for minimally symptomatic disease.
Copyright/Permission Statement
Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Keywords
insurance, medicare initiation
Recommended Citation
David, G., Acevedo-Perez, V., Saynisch, P., & Neuman, M. D. (2012). Affording to Wait: Medicare Initiation and the Use of Health Care. Health Economics, 21 (8), 1030-1036. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hec.1772
Date Posted: 27 November 2017