US state health expenditure convergence: A revisited analysis

Clemente, J. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Lázaro-Alquézar, A. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Montañés, A. (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: This paper studies the evolution of US state health expenditure for a sample that covers 1966–2014. Our results provide evidence against the existence of a single pattern of behavior of personal health care expenditure across the US states. Rather, we can observe the existence of two statistically different convergence clubs. We cannot find evidence of convergence when we disaggregate health expenditure into its three main payers: Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance expenditure, whilst we again find evidence of convergence clubs. However, the estimated clubs for Medicaid and private health insurance expenditure are statistically different that estimated for total health expenditure. Consequently, our results offer strong evidence of heterogeneity in the evolution of US health expenditure. The analysis of the forces that drive club creation shows that economic situation and some supply-side factors are important. We can also appreciate that some healthcare outcome variables are only related to private insurance health expenditure. The other health expenditures, thus, show a certain lack of efficiency which may be due to practices that have little benefit for patient health.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2019.02.011

Año: 2019

Publicado en: Economic Modelling 83 (2019), 210-220
ISSN: 0264-9993

Factor impacto JCR: 1.93 (2019)

Categ. JCR: ECONOMICS rank: 113 / 371 = 0.305 (2019) - Q2 - T1

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.972 - Economics and Econometrics (Q2)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/S124-CASSETEM group
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MEC/ECO2015-65967-R

Tipo y forma: Article (PostPrint)

Área (Departamento): Área Economía Aplicada (Dpto. Estruc.Hª Econ.y Eco.Pb.)
Área (Departamento): Área Fund. Análisis Económico (Dpto. Análisis Económico)