Women Left Behind: Gender Disparities in Utilization of Government Health Insurance in India

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Dupas, Pascaline; Jain, Radhika
• 署名单位: National Bureau of Economic Research; Princeton University; Center for Economic & Policy Research (CEPR); University of London; University College London
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20230521
• 发表日期: 2024
• 页码: 3345-3383
• 关键词: policy experiment; nutrition; BIAS; care

摘要

We document large gender disparities within a government program that entitles 46 million poor individuals to free hospital care. We show that care is not free in practice and higher costs are associated with larger disparities. Lowering care costs increases female utilization but does not reduce gender disparities because marginal beneficiaries are as likely to be male as inframarginals. Long-term exposure to local female leaders reduces disparities by addressing factors lowering female care. In the presence of gender bias, , subsidizing social services may fail to address gender inequalities without actions that specifically target females. (JEL H51, I12, I13, I14, J16, O15)