Hospital Queues, Patient Health, and Labor Supply

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Godoy, Anna; Haaland, Venke f.; Huitfeldt, Ingrid; Votruba, Mark
• 署名单位: Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH); University of Oslo; University of Oslo; Universitetet i Stavanger; Statistics Norway; BI Norwegian Business School; University System of Ohio; Case Western Reserve University; MetroHealth System
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-ECONOMIC POLICY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7731
• DOI: 10.1257/pol.20210399
• 发表日期: 2024
• 页码: 150-181
• 关键词: human-capital depreciation; disability insurance receipt; Child-care; networks; earnings

摘要

Long waits for health care raise concerns about the consequences of delayed treatment. We use variation in queue congestion to estimate effects of wait time for orthopedic surgery. We do not find that longer wait times lead to increased health care utilization. However , we do find persistent reductions in labor supply: long waits increase medium to long-term work absences and permanent disability receipt. Effects are driven by individuals who are on sick leave at referral. Our results are consistent with patterns of state dependence , where extended periods of temporary disability while awaiting treatment create persistent barriers to returning to work. ( JEL I11, I12, I18, J22 )