Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2015
DOI
10.1515/bejeap-2014-0016
Publication Title
BE Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy
Volume
15
Issue
1
Pages
119-156
Abstract
We study how macroeconomic conditions during the Great Recession affected health care utilization and out-of-pocket expenditures of American households. We use two data sources: the Consumer Expenditure (CE) Survey and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP); each has its own advantages. The CE contains quarterly frequency variables, and the SIPP provides panel data at the individual level. Consistent evidence across the two datasets shows that utilization of routine medical care was counter-cyclical, whereas hospital care was pro-cyclical during the Great Recession. When we examine the pre-recession period, the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and health care use was either non-existent or in opposite directions, suggesting that this relationship may have been unique to the Great Recession.
Original Publication Citation
Du, J., & Yagihashi, T. (2015). Health care use, out-of-pocket expenditure, and macroeconomic conditions during the great recession. BE Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 15(1), 119. doi:10.1515/bejeap-2014-0016
Repository Citation
Du, Juan and Yagihashi, Takeshi, "Health Care Use, Out-of-Pocket Expenditure, and Macroeconomic Conditions During the Great Recession" (2015). Economics Faculty Publications. 5.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/economics_facpubs/5