The Role of Hospital Heterogeneity in Measuring Marginal Returns to Medical Care: A Reply to Barreca, Guldi, Lindo, and Waddell
Author(s)
Almond, Douglas; Doyle, Joseph J.; Kowalski, Amanda E.; Williams, Heidi L.
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In Almond et al. (2010), we describe how marginal returns to medical care can be estimated by comparing patients on either side of diagnostic thresholds. Our application examines at-risk newborns near the very low birth weight threshold at 1500 g. We estimate large discontinuities in medical care and mortality at this threshold, with effects concentrated at “low-quality” hospitals. Although our preferred estimates retain newborns near the threshold, when they are excluded the estimated marginal returns decline, although they remain large. In low-quality hospitals, our estimates are similar in magnitude regardless of whether these newborns are included or excluded.
Date issued
2011-10Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics; Sloan School of ManagementJournal
Quarterly Journal of Economics
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Citation
Almond, D. et al. “The Role of Hospital Heterogeneity in Measuring Marginal Returns to Medical Care: A Reply to Barreca, Guldi, Lindo, and Waddell.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 126.4 (2011): 2125–2131. Web.
Version: Author's final manuscript
ISSN
0033-5533
1531-4650