The Effects of Health Insurance within Families : Experimental Evidence from Nicaragua

Fitzpatrick, Anne ; Thornton, Rebecca

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: HEALTH INSURANCE;    SPILLOVERS;    COMPLEMENTARITIES;    RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-8115
RP-ID  :  WPS8115

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper measures the causal effectsof parent enrollment into voluntary health insurance onhealthcare utilization among insured and uninsured childrenin Nicaragua. The study utilizes a randomized trial andage-eligibility cut-off in which insurance subsidies wererandomly allocated to parents that covered their dependentchildren under 12; children ages 12 and older were noteligible for coverage. Among eligible children, theinsurance increased utilization at covered providers by 0.56visits and increased overall utilization by 1.3 visits.Ineligible children with insured parents experienced 1.7fewer healthcare visits, driven by parent, not siblingenrollment. The results suggest complementarities acrosshealthcare provider type, and provide evidence thathouseholds reallocate resources across all members, inresponse to changes in healthcare prices for some.