Working Papers

“Medicare’s Home Health Benefits and Elderly Living Arrangements” (Job Market Paper)

Abstract: This paper examines how access to Medicare's home health care benefits affects home health care utilization and the likelihood of co-residence among the elderly population. Using a regression discontinuity design (RDD) that exploits the sharp eligibility threshold at age 65, I find that Medicare eligibility leads to an 11-percentage-point increase in home health care utilization among less healthy, single elderly individuals, with no statistically significant effects for healthier or married individuals. I also show that there is racial heterogeneity in the impact of home health care utilization on co-residence: the increase in home health care utilization reduces co-residence by 3 percentage points among less healthy, single Black elderly individuals, while no statistically significant changes are observed among other racial groups. Additionally, these effects are concentrated in the second quartile of the income distribution, where prior insurance coverage is less likely. These findings suggest that public transfers expanding access to affordable home health care can play a significant role in shaping care utilization patterns and living arrangements among elderly populations who are more vulnerable due to health, income, or social factors.

“Price Elasticity with Non-linear Contract: Evidence from the RAND Health Insurance Experiment”

“Intra-Household Dynamics of Non-communicable Diseases”

“Trends and Issues in Small Group Health Insurance” with Kelly D. Edmiston and Gayle Brekke