The Impact of the Massachusetts Health Care Reform on Unpaid Medical Bills

Bibliographic Data

ID13775151
AuthorsAlejandro Arrieta (0000-0002-7628-8894, Florida International University, Miami, USA, corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume50
Issue3
Pages165-176
Publication date2013-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueINQUIRY The Journal of Health Care Organization Provision and Financing (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0046-9580 • E-ISSN: 1945-7243
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0046958013516580
PMID25117084
OpenAlexW2102462610
LanguageEN
References cited26

The Massachusetts health care reform was expected to reduce the financial burden of medical care, but literature exploring this effect is limited. In this study, we use hospital financial information and a panel data difference-in-difference model to assess the impact of the Massachusetts health care reform on unpaid medical bills. We find that the reform reduced the financial burden for patients, reflected by a 26percent decrease in hospital bad debt. The effect was more pronounced among safety-net hospitals, indicating a larger benefit for the most vulnerable population

Actuarial science · Business · Debt · Demographic economics · Difference in differences · Economic growth · Economics · Health care · Health care reform · Hospital care · Medical care · Panel data · Public economics · Finance · Global Health Care Issues · Healthcare Policy and Management · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Medicine · Nursing · Health Policy