Gender Differences in Medical Evaluations: Evidence from Randomly Assigned Doctors†

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Cabral, Marika; Dillender, Marcus
• 署名单位: University of Texas System; University of Texas Austin; National Bureau of Economic Research; Vanderbilt University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20220349
• 发表日期: 2024
• 页码: 462-499
• 关键词: health-care; sex; disparities

摘要

Little is known about what drives gender disparities in health care and related social insurance benefits. Using data and variation from the Texas workers' compensation program, we study the impact of gender match between doctors and patients on medical evaluations and associated disability benefits. Compared to differences among their male patient counterparts, female patients randomly assigned a female doctor rather than a male doctor are 5.2 percent more likely to be evaluated as disabled and receive 8.6 percent more subsequent cash benefits on average. There is no analogous gender-match effect for male patients. Our estimates indicate that increasing the share of female patients evaluated by female doctors may substantially shrink gender gaps in medical evaluations and associated outcomes.