Public Health Insurance Programs Evaluation

With the growing elderly population, we are aware of
the increasing resource needs for medical care and
anticipate an increasing burden on social welfare
system. Medicaid and Medicare are at the edge of
financing crisis at both the federal and state level.
This book examines effects of Medicaid and Medicare
on medical care use for U.S. elderly from an academic
perspective of economics. Medicaid studies identify
elderly eligible for Medicaid who consist of two
groups the targeted pre-existing poor and the
non-targeted elderly who may spend down to be
eligible. Exploring Medicaid participation
determinants and spend-down behaviors, we estimate
effects of Medicaid on medical services use. Medicare
study tracks adults for a period of ten years, that
is four years prior to Medicare and six years
afterward. Identifying individuals private health
insurance status prior to Medicare as previously
insured and uninsured, we compare their medical
expenses and health outcomes biannually before and
after coming into Medicare. The studies should shed
some light on how Medicaid and Medicare fare to date,
and should be especially useful to researchers and
policy-makers in health related areas.

Autorentext

Song Gao, Ph.D., M.P.H.: Studied Health Economics and PublicHealth at Stony Brook University. Health Educator, Beijing.

Klappentext

With the growing elderly population, we are aware ofthe increasing resource needs for medical care andanticipate an increasing burden on social welfaresystem. Medicaid and Medicare are at the edge offinancing crisis at both the federal and state level.This book examines effects of Medicaid and Medicareon medical care use for U.S. elderly from an academicperspective of economics. Medicaid studies identifyelderly eligible for Medicaid who consist of twogroups - the targeted pre-existing poor and thenon-targeted elderly who may spend down to beeligible. Exploring Medicaid participationdeterminants and spend-down behaviors, we estimateeffects of Medicaid on medical services use. Medicarestudy tracks adults for a period of ten years, thatis four years prior to Medicare and six yearsafterward. Identifying individuals' private healthinsurance status prior to Medicare as previouslyinsured and uninsured, we compare their medicalexpenses and health outcomes biannually before andafter coming into Medicare. The studies should shedsome light on how Medicaid and Medicare fare to date,and should be especially useful to researchers andpolicy-makers in health related areas.