Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 104314 |
| Journal | Journal of Public Economics |
| Volume | 194 |
| Early online date | 19 Dec 2020 |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2021 |
Abstract
We use the roll-out of the national health insurance in Ghana to assess the cushioning effect of coverage on the financial consequences of health shocks and resulting changes in coping behaviors. We find a strong reduction in medical expenditures, preventing households from cutting non-food consumption and causing a decrease in the volume of received remittances as well as labor supply of healthy adult household members. Moreover, we present evidence that the insurance scheme reduced the likelihood that households experiencing a health shock pulled their children out of school in order to put them to work. Avoidance of such costly coping mechanisms is potentially an important part of the social value of formal health insurance.
Keywords
- Child labor, Ghana, Health shocks, Insurance, Social protection
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)
- Finance
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)
- Economics and Econometrics
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 194, 104314, 02.2021.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The Social Value of Health Insurance
T2 - Results from Ghana
AU - Garcia-Mandicó, Sílvia
AU - Reichert, Arndt
AU - Strupat, Christoph
PY - 2021/2
Y1 - 2021/2
N2 - We use the roll-out of the national health insurance in Ghana to assess the cushioning effect of coverage on the financial consequences of health shocks and resulting changes in coping behaviors. We find a strong reduction in medical expenditures, preventing households from cutting non-food consumption and causing a decrease in the volume of received remittances as well as labor supply of healthy adult household members. Moreover, we present evidence that the insurance scheme reduced the likelihood that households experiencing a health shock pulled their children out of school in order to put them to work. Avoidance of such costly coping mechanisms is potentially an important part of the social value of formal health insurance.
AB - We use the roll-out of the national health insurance in Ghana to assess the cushioning effect of coverage on the financial consequences of health shocks and resulting changes in coping behaviors. We find a strong reduction in medical expenditures, preventing households from cutting non-food consumption and causing a decrease in the volume of received remittances as well as labor supply of healthy adult household members. Moreover, we present evidence that the insurance scheme reduced the likelihood that households experiencing a health shock pulled their children out of school in order to put them to work. Avoidance of such costly coping mechanisms is potentially an important part of the social value of formal health insurance.
KW - Child labor
KW - Ghana
KW - Health shocks
KW - Insurance
KW - Social protection
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099502821&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104314
DO - 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104314
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85099502821
VL - 194
JO - Journal of Public Economics
JF - Journal of Public Economics
SN - 0047-2727
M1 - 104314
ER -