Long-run Health and Mortality Effects of Exposure to Universal Health Care in Infancy

Speaker:
Dr Tanya Wilson (University of Glasgow)

Host
Dr Sisi Sung

Abstract:
We investigate how exposure to universal healthcare in infancy influences early life health outcomes and the extent to which impacts persist into later life. The introduction of universal healthcare through the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom in July 1948 presented a fundamental re-organisation of the healthcare environment. Immediate large decreases in infant mortality ensued. We show an immediate decrease in infant mortality ensued, particularly in i) the neo-natal period, ii) for amenable causes of death, and iii) among low-income individuals. We use administrative data on hospitalisations and death records to compare individuals born in the immediate cohorts around the NHS introduction in a regression discontinuity design. Our findings indicate that age-specific survival rates (incidence of cardiovascular disease) in later life are systematically higher (lower) among those whose post-natal care expanded through the NHS. These long run impacts of infancy exposure to universal healthcare coverage through the NHS are economically significant. Exploiting geographical variation in the change in per-capita medical services induced by the introduction of universal healthcare reveals evidence of crowding out effects between pre-existing and incoming patients to the new system. Our analysis suggests that supply side constraints play a key role in the design of universal healthcare systems.

Date & Time:
March 6, 2024 (Wednesday) 15:00-16:00


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