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Free GP care and psychological health: Quasi-experimental evidence from Ireland

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  • Ma, Yuanyuan
  • Nolan, Anne
  • Smith, James P.

Abstract

There is considerable ambiguity in the literature on the effect of health insurance on health. While the majority of previous analyses have examined physical health outcomes, analyses of the broader dimensions of health such as psychological health and wellbeing have been less frequent. Using data from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) and a difference-in-differences research design, we examine the impact of free general practitioner (GP) care on psychological health among the older population and explore potential mechanisms. While we find no impact of public health insurance expansions on quality of life, life satisfaction, depression, and worry, the removal of GP fees for all those 70+ leads to a significantly lower level of perceived stress. The impact is mainly driven by poorer, sicker and single individuals. Further analyses show that removing GP fees leads to greater access to GP services and lower levels of financial stress.

Suggested Citation

  • Ma, Yuanyuan & Nolan, Anne & Smith, James P., 2020. "Free GP care and psychological health: Quasi-experimental evidence from Ireland," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:72:y:2020:i:c:s0167629619310999
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2020.102351
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Nowakowski, Adam & Oswald, Andrew J, 2020. "Do Europeans Care about Climate Change? An Illustration of the Importance of Data on Human Feelings," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 510, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    4. Ann, Kirby & Murphy, Aileen, 2022. "Would universal general practitioner care impact Irish adolescents’ utilisation?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(7), pages 652-660.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public health insurance; Psychological health; Quasi-experiment; Ageing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private

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