Health Economics
@HECJournal
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The official X account of Health Economics. Featuring theoretical contributions, empirical studies and analyses of health policy from the economic perspective.
Joined May 2023
China’s Zero-Markup Drug Policy reshaped prescribing incentives. New evidence shows doctors’ choices respond far more to hospital profit margins than patient prices—cutting costs and improving patient welfare. https://t.co/NhzEwU0fX8
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Disability insurance doesn’t always replace work. Evidence from Italy shows that when benefits can be combined with earnings, higher DI generosity raises take-up but has only minor effects on employment. DI can function as a complement to labor income. https://t.co/9XbNoAMq8K
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A new study finds that early exposure to the Child & Dependent Care Tax Credit shapes later child health in different ways across families. The reason isn’t the credit itself — it’s how families adjust childcare setups when policy nudges their options. https://t.co/7BHclqvZxz
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New research from Germany shows that regular grandparental care boosts parents’ well-being — especially mothers — but comes with a small trade-off: children cared for by grandparents show slightly poorer health outcomes. A real-world care puzzle. https://t.co/QUy1WdJj4D
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Does free insurance improve access? Evidence from France says yes. A study of a means-tested complementary insurance program shows that lowering out-of-pocket costs boosts care use among low-income patients. https://t.co/GDfMls8Hjr
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Stronger labor market policies improve maternal mental health before pregnancy. A $1 rise in the minimum wage lowers pre-pregnancy depression by 8.5%, and a $100 increase in the state EITC lowers it by 1.5%. Income support matters early. https://t.co/UrBfzexnQY
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New evidence shows that growing up in families receiving larger Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) benefits reduces work disability in adulthood. Long-term income support does more than fight poverty — it shapes lifelong health. https://t.co/ijQDXlN6iT
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New issue of Health Economics is out. The cover looks calm. The papers inside are anything but — sharp methods, tough questions, and a few results that challenge conventional wisdom. Don't judge a journal by its cover — even when it looks this good! https://t.co/PXUHALrxbV
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A new study shows why preterm birth and low birth weight should be analyzed together, not separately. Using a copula-based model, the authors reveal strong joint risks and clear geographic and maternal factors that shape them. https://t.co/b42cRnm0RD
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In-utero exposure to COVID medical-procedure delay orders raised the likelihood of an adverse birth-outcome diagnosis by 13% (from a 6% baseline) and pushed prenatal care toward telehealth. Delaying “non-urgent” pregnancy care has real costs. https://t.co/sGyIe2xWjk
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China’s 2006 campaign against a major parasitic infection dramatically improved more than health. Children exposed in utero had fewer outpatient visits, better nutrition, and stronger school outcomes. Fighting neglected diseases builds human capital. https://t.co/pf2DXr0VJI
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5/ The catch: scale improves total appointment capacity, but not necessarily speed. Larger practices generate more care, yet the share of “timely” appointments falls slightly as size increases. Bottom line: scale expands access, but doesn’t solve waits.
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4/ Skill-mix matters too. Cost-optimal staffing ratios require more nurses and DPC staff than practices currently employ. Nurses in particular deliver high appointment volumes at relatively low cost. Small practices simply can’t unlock this productivity.
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3/ And the productivity advantage grows with size. Across outputs (total appointments, GP slots, timely 2-day access), marginal returns rise sharply at the 75th percentile of practice size. Scale isn’t just about volume; it amplifies each added worker’s impact.
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2/ The study models how practices convert staff into appointments. The punchline: bigger practices squeeze more appointments out of every additional clinician. At median admin staffing, 1 extra GP → +223 appointments/month. 1 extra nurse/DPC → +152.
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1/ Primary care is drowning in demand. Policymakers keep pushing “scale” as the fix. But does scaling up actually produce more care? New evidence from 6,149 GP practices in England gives a rare, data-driven answer. https://t.co/Yp39PVrWeA 🧵 👇
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Primary medical care has traditionally been provided by small organisations. Recent policy developments in many countries have encouraged larger practices in the hope of benefiting from increasing...
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New evidence from Germany shows that income matters more for well-being when people are sick. The marginal utility of income rises in sickness, implying insurance is more valuable than standard models assume. Sickness has a real “fixed cost.”
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
We propose a method for studying the value of insurance. For this purpose, we analyze the well-being of the same individuals, comparing sick and healthy years, using German panel survey data on life...
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Argentina’s zero-tolerance drunk-driving laws didn’t deliver. A new study finds no drop in traffic deaths and higher injury rates after adoption, with little change in drinking behavior. Tough rules didn’t shift the risks that matter. https://t.co/bFY95ZKnXM
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Most health studies model doctor and non-doctor visits separately. This paper shows why that misses the point: the two are tightly linked, driven by shared behaviors and unobserved traits. Joint modeling reveals who actually uses care—and how. 👉
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New US claims data show a sharp ⬇️ in children’s asthma medication adherence during COVID — especially among the youngest children. Evidence points to parental attention as a key driver. Mail-order refills softened the decline. https://t.co/5Bp1DeTtFw
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