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Subsidies and Structure: The Lasting Impact of the Hill-Burton Program on the Hospital Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea Park Chung

    (Carnegie Mellon University)

  • Martin Gaynor

    (Carnegie Mellon University, University of Bristol, and NBER)

  • Seth Richards-Shubik

    (Lehigh University and NBER)

Abstract

We study the effect of public subsidies from the Hill-Burton program on hospital capacity, organization of the hospital industry, and utilization. We estimate that the program accounted for a net increase of over 70,000 beds nationwide and that these effects lasted well beyond twenty years. We also show that differences in the number of hospital beds per capita between high- and low-income counties, rural and urban counties, and the South and the rest of the country fell substantially. We conclude that the program largely achieved its goals, with substantial and long-lasting effects on the U.S. hospital industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Park Chung & Martin Gaynor & Seth Richards-Shubik, 2017. "Subsidies and Structure: The Lasting Impact of the Hill-Burton Program on the Hospital Industry," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 99(5), pages 926-943, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:99:y:2017:i:5:p:926-943
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Sam Watson’s journal round-up for 11th December 2017
      by Sam Watson in The Academic Health Economists' Blog on 2017-12-11 18:00:18

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    Cited by:

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    2. Remco van Eijkel & Mark Kattenberg & Ab van der Torre, 2018. "Competition and pricing behavior in long term care markets: Evidence from the Market for Assistance in Daily Housekeeping Activities," CPB Discussion Paper 373, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    3. Hill, Elaine L. & Slusky, David J.G. & Ginther, Donna K., 2019. "Reproductive health care in Catholic-owned hospitals," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 48-62.
    4. Alex Hollingsworth & Krzysztof Karbownik & Melissa A. Thomasson & Anthony Wray, 2022. "The Gift of a Lifetime: The Hospital, Modern Medicine, and Mortality," NBER Working Papers 30663, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Clay, Karen & Lewis, Joshua & Severnini, Edson R. & Wang, Xiao, 2020. "The Value of Health Insurance during a Crisis: Effects of Medicaid Implementation on Pandemic Influenza Mortality," IZA Discussion Papers 13200, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Martin Gaynor & Kate Ho & Robert J. Town, 2015. "The Industrial Organization of Health-Care Markets," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 53(2), pages 235-284, June.
    7. Remco Eijkel & Mark Kattenberg & Ab Torre, 2023. "Pricing behavior in long term care markets: evidence from provider-level data for home help services," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 59-83, March.
    8. Vinish Shrestha, 2023. "The Former Oppressive Racial Regime and Geographic Discontinuities in Efficacy of the Affordable Care Act in the American South," Working Papers 2023-02, Towson University, Department of Economics, revised Oct 2023.
    9. Adam Pilny & Felix Roesel, 2020. "Are Doctors Better Health Ministers?," American Journal of Health Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(4), pages 498-532.
    10. Martha J. Bailey & Jason M. Lindo, 2017. "Access and Use of Contraception and Its Effects on Women’s Outcomes in the U.S," NBER Working Papers 23465, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. HOSHI, Kisho, 2023. "New Medical Schools, Access to Doctors and Health Outcomes : Evidence from Japan," CEI Working Paper Series 2023-05, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
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    13. Theodore F. Figinski & Erin Troland, 2020. "Health Insurance and Hospital Supply: Evidence from 1950s Coal Country," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2020-033, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm
    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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