Effects of primary care cost-sharing among young adults: varying impact across income groups and gender

Eur J Health Econ. 2019 Nov;20(8):1271-1280. doi: 10.1007/s10198-019-01095-6. Epub 2019 Aug 10.

Abstract

We estimate the price sensitivity in health care among adolescents and young adults, and assess how it varies across income groups and gender, using a regression discontinuity design. We use the age differential cost-sharing in Swedish primary care as our identification strategy. At the 20th birthday, the copayment increases from €0 to approx. €10 per primary care physician visit and close to this threshold the copayment faced by each person is distributed almost as good as if randomized. The analysis is performed using high-quality health care and economic register data of 73,000 individuals aged 18-22. Our results show that the copayment decreases the average number of visits by 7%. Among women visits are reduced by 9%, for low-income individuals by 11%, and for low-income women by 14%. In conclusion, modest copayments have significant utilization effects, and even in a policy context with relatively low income inequalities, the effect is substantially larger in low-income groups and among women.

Keywords: Health care demand; Income inequality; Patient cost-sharing; Price sensitivity.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Cost Sharing / economics*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Income
  • Male
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care
  • Primary Health Care / economics*
  • Regression Analysis
  • Sweden
  • Young Adult