IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jhecon/v37y2014icp123-136.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Bargaining for health: A case study of a collective agreement-based health program for manual workers

Author

Listed:
  • Pedersen, Morten Saaby
  • Arendt, Jacob Nielsen

Abstract

This paper examines the short- and medium-term effects of the PensionDanmark Health Scheme, the largest privately administered health program for workers in Denmark, which provides prevention and early management of work-related injuries. We use a difference-in-differences approach that exploits a natural variation in the program rollout across collective agreement areas in the construction sector and over time. The results show only little evidence of an effect on the prevention of injuries requiring medical attention in the first 3 years after the program was introduced. Despite this, we find evidence of significant positive effects on several labor market outcomes, suggesting that the program enables some work-injured individuals to maintain their work and earnings capacity. In view of its low costs, the program appears to be cost-effective overall.

Suggested Citation

  • Pedersen, Morten Saaby & Arendt, Jacob Nielsen, 2014. "Bargaining for health: A case study of a collective agreement-based health program for manual workers," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 123-136.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:37:y:2014:i:c:p:123-136
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.06.004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167629614000848
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.06.004?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Datta Gupta Nabanita & Lau Daniel & Pozzoli Dario, 2016. "The Impact of Education and Occupation on Temporary and Permanent Work Incapacity," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 16(2), pages 577-617, April.
    2. Anne Case & Angus S. Deaton, 2005. "Broken Down by Work and Sex: How Our Health Declines," NBER Chapters, in: Analyses in the Economics of Aging, pages 185-212, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Høgelund, Jan & Holm, Anders & McIntosh, James, 2010. "Does graded return-to-work improve sick-listed workers' chance of returning to regular working hours?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 158-169, January.
    4. Aakvik, Arild & Holmas, Tor Helge & Kjerstad, Egil, 2003. "A low-key social insurance reform--effects of multidisciplinary outpatient treatment for back pain patients in Norway," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 747-762, September.
    5. Baicker, Katherine & Cutler, David M. & Song, Zirui, 2010. "Workplace Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings," Scholarly Articles 5345879, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    6. Hogelund, Jan & Holm, Anders, 2006. "Case management interviews and the return to work of disabled employees," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 500-519, May.
    7. Ziebarth, Nicolas R. & Karlsson, Martin, 2010. "A natural experiment on sick pay cuts, sickness absence, and labor costs," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(11-12), pages 1108-1122, December.
    8. Auld, M Christopher & Emery, J C Herbert & Gordon Daniel V & McClintock, Douglas, 2001. "The Efficacy of Construction Site Safety Inspections," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 19(4), pages 900-921, October.
    9. Galizzi, Monica & Boden, Leslie I., 2003. "The return to work of injured workers: evidence from matched unemployment insurance and workers' compensation data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 311-337, June.
    10. Heckman, J.J. & Hotz, V.J., 1988. "Choosing Among Alternative Nonexperimental Methods For Estimating The Impact Of Social Programs: The Case Of Manpower Training," University of Chicago - Economics Research Center 88-12, Chicago - Economics Research Center.
    11. Krueger, Alan & Rouse, Cecilia, 1998. "The Effect of Workplace Education on Earnings, Turnover, and Job Performance," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 16(1), pages 61-94, January.
    12. Meyer, Bruce D & Viscusi, W Kip & Durbin, David L, 1995. "Workers' Compensation and Injury Duration: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(3), pages 322-340, June.
    13. Huber, Martin & Lechner, Michael & Wunsch, Conny, 2013. "The performance of estimators based on the propensity score," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 175(1), pages 1-21.
    14. Morefield Brant & Ribar David C. & Ruhm Christopher J., 2012. "Occupational Status and Health Transitions," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 11(3), pages 1-29, March.
    15. Leslie I. Boden & Monica Galizzi, 2003. "Income Losses of Women and Men Injured at Work," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 38(3).
    16. Jason M. Fletcher & Jody L. Sindelar & Shintaro Yamaguchi, 2011. "Cumulative effects of job characteristics on health," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(5), pages 553-570, May.
    17. Markus Frölich & Almas Heshmati & Michael Lechner, 2004. "A microeconometric evaluation of rehabilitation of long-term sickness in Sweden," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(3), pages 375-396.
    18. Robert Stewart Smith, 1979. "The Impact of OSHA Inspections on Manufacturing Injury Rates," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 14(2), pages 145-170.
    19. Kenkel, Donald & Supina, Dylan, 1992. "The determinants of worksite health promotion," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 345-351, November.
    20. Laun, Lisa & Thoursie, Peter Skogman, 2014. "Does privatisation of vocational rehabilitation improve labour market opportunities? Evidence from a field experiment in Sweden," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 59-72.
    21. Rajeev H. Dehejia & Sadek Wahba, 2002. "Propensity Score-Matching Methods For Nonexperimental Causal Studies," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(1), pages 151-161, February.
    22. Puhani, Patrick A. & Sonderhof, Katja, 2010. "The effects of a sick pay reform on absence and on health-related outcomes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 285-302, March.
    23. Cawley, John & Price, Joshua A., 2013. "A case study of a workplace wellness program that offers financial incentives for weight loss," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 794-803.
    24. Leslie I. Boden & John W. Ruser, 2003. "Workers' Compensation "Reforms," Choice of Medical Care Provider, and Reported Workplace Injuries," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 85(4), pages 923-929, November.
    25. Paul Lanoie, 1992. "The Impact of Occupational Safety and Health Regulation on the Risk of Workplace Accidents: Quebec, 1983-87," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 27(4), pages 643-660.
    26. Richard J. Butler & Marjorie L. Baldwin & William G. Johnson, 2006. "The Effects of Occupational Injuries After Returns to Work: Work Absences and Losses of On‐the‐Job Productivity," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 73(2), pages 309-334, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ángel Martín-Román & Alfonso Moral, 2017. "A methodological proposal to evaluate the cost of duration moral hazard in workplace accident insurance," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 18(9), pages 1181-1198, December.
    2. Nicolas R. Ziebarth & Martin Karlsson, 2014. "The Effects Of Expanding The Generosity Of The Statutory Sickness Insurance System," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 208-230, March.
    3. Nicolas R. Ziebarth, 2018. "Social Insurance and Health," Contributions to Economic Analysis, in: Health Econometrics, volume 127, pages 57-84, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    4. Ziebarth, Nicolas R., 2013. "Long-term absenteeism and moral hazard—Evidence from a natural experiment," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 277-292.
    5. Tymon Słoczyński, 2015. "The Oaxaca–Blinder Unexplained Component as a Treatment Effects Estimator," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 77(4), pages 588-604, August.
    6. Meyer, S.C. & Künn-Nelen, A.C., 2014. "Do occupational demands explain the educational gradient in health?," Research Memorandum 016, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    7. Pons Rotger, Gabriel & Rosholm, Michael, 2020. "The Role of Beliefs in Long Sickness Absence: Experimental Evidence from a Psychological Intervention," IZA Discussion Papers 13582, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Ana Lucia Abeliansky & Holger Strulik, 2023. "Health and aging before and after retirement," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(4), pages 2825-2855, October.
    9. Strulik, Holger, 2022. "A health economic theory of occupational choice, aging, and longevity," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    10. Flores, Carlos A. & Mitnik, Oscar A., 2009. "Evaluating Nonexperimental Estimators for Multiple Treatments: Evidence from Experimental Data," IZA Discussion Papers 4451, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Huber, Martin & Lechner, Michael & Wunsch, Conny, 2015. "Workplace health promotion and labour market performance of employees," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 170-189.
    12. Bastian Ravesteijn & Hans van Kippersluis & Eddy van Doorslaer, 2018. "The wear and tear on health: What is the role of occupation?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(2), pages 69-86, February.
    13. Bilgrami, A. & Cutler, H. & Sinha, K., 2021. "Do standardised workplace health and safety laws and increased enforcement activities reduce the probability of receiving workers' compensation?," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 21/08, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    14. Ángel L. Martín-Román & Alfonso Moral & Sara Pinillos-Franco, 2024. "Are women breaking the glass ceiling? A gendered analysis of the duration of sick leave in Spain," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 107-134, March.
    15. Dmitry Arkhangelsky & Guido Imbens, 2023. "Causal Models for Longitudinal and Panel Data: A Survey," Papers 2311.15458, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2024.
    16. Johanna Catherine Maclean & Douglas A. Webber & Michael T. French & Susan L. Ettner, 2015. "The Health Consequences of Adverse Labor Market Events: Evidence from Panel Data," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 478-498, July.
    17. Monica Galizzi, 2013. "On The Recurrence Of Occupational Injuries And Workers' Compensation Claims," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(5), pages 582-599, May.
    18. Dillender, Marcus, 2015. "The effect of health insurance on workers’ compensation filing: Evidence from the affordable care act's age-based threshold for dependent coverage," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 204-228.
    19. Martin Ljunge, 2011. "Sick of Taxes? Evidence on the Elasticity of Labor Supply when Workers Are Free to Choose," Discussion Papers 11-27, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    20. Hogelund, Jan & Holm, Anders, 2006. "Case management interviews and the return to work of disabled employees," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 500-519, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Private sector health program; Work-related injury; Difference-in-differences; Collective agreements; Manual workers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • J52 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Dispute Resolution: Strikes, Arbitration, and Mediation

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:37:y:2014:i:c:p:123-136. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/505560 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.