Source Themes

Effects of employer-offered high-deductible plans on low-value spending in the privately insured population

We study whether patient-side cost-sharing prompts patients to consume healthcare more efficiently by reducing spending on low-value services. We find some evidence that offering employees high-deductible plans disproportionately reduces low-value spending relative to overall spending, indicating that deductibles may be a way to incentivize value-based decision making.

The Impact of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising on Outpatient Care Utilization

There is much debate about the effects of pharmaceutical direct to consumer advertising (DTCA) on health care use. In this paper, we inform this debate by examining the effects of DTCA on office visits, as well as treatment courses resulting from …

Impact of Consumer-Directed Health Plans on Low-Value Healthcare

We study whether patient-side cost-sharing prompts patients to consume healthcare more efficiently by reducing spending on low-value services. We find that consumer-directed health plans reduce spending on low-value services, though these reductions are proportional to overall spending reductions.

Less Intense Postacute Care, Better Outcomes For Enrollees In Medicare Advantage Than Those In Fee-For-Service

A comparison of intensity of post-acute care utilization following hospitalization between Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare beneficiaries. Despite having similar or improved health outcomes, MA patients spent less time in post-acute care settings.