Differences in Crohn’s disease-related outcomes and medical expenditures were analyzed by insurance status, using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Results from the analysis suggested that although total and acute care expenditures for publicly insured Crohn’s disease patients were disproportionately high compared to their privately insured and uninsured counterparts, privately insured patients experienced the best disease outcomes and healthcare quality. These findings led to the conclusion that in order to improve the outcomes and reduce the economic burden of Crohn’s disease, publicly insured and uninsured patients should be granted universal access to healthcare – specifically non-acute doctors and services.
Medicare provides the 65+ population with affordable health insurance. Medicare Part D was introduced in 2006 and provides the Medicare population with prescription drug coverage. We examine the impact of Medicare Part D on the health of the elderly by examining the trends in mortality rates before and after the Medicare Part D implementation. We find that Medicare Part D reduced elderly mortality rates by 2.2%.
The Affordable Care Act was a monumental piece of health legislation, impacting welfare, insurance coverage rates, and medical expenditures. Previous economic studies have documented the exact magnitude of these effects. However, the behavioral mechanics that rendered these efficacious outcomes possible have gone by somewhat undocumented. This thesis addresses this concern, by proposing a theoretical framework derived from prospect theory that analyzes how the individual mandate provision impacted demand for health insurance. This framework is empirically tested on young adults (aged 20-25) with a difference-in-differences linear probability model. Findings are consistent with proposed behavioral theory, suggesting that penalties induce demand for insurance by editing reference points and heightening loss-aversion. Additionally, results imply that young adults have marginally more responsive loss-preferences when compared to control counterparts (aged 27-30). Conclusions drawn from this model provide an increased understanding of young adult decision-making processes with the usage of real evidence.
