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Gender Differences in Medical Evaluations: Evidence from Randomly Assigned Doctors

Author

Listed:
  • Marika Cabral
  • Marcus Dillender

Abstract

Little is known about what drives gender disparities in health care and related social insurance benefits. Using data and variation from the Texas workers' compensation program, we study the impact of gender match between doctors and patients on medical evaluations and associated disability benefits. Compared to differences among their male patient counterparts, female patients randomly assigned a female doctor rather than a male doctor are 5.2 percent more likely to be evaluated as disabled and receive 8.6 percent more subsequent cash benefits on average. There is no analogous gender-match effect for male patients. Our estimates indicate that increasing the share of female patients evaluated by female doctors may substantially shrink gender gaps in medical evaluations and associated outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Marika Cabral & Marcus Dillender, 2024. "Gender Differences in Medical Evaluations: Evidence from Randomly Assigned Doctors," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(2), pages 462-499, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:114:y:2024:i:2:p:462-99
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20220349
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Si, Yafei & Chen, Gang & Zhou, Zhongliang & Yip, Winnie & Chen, Xi, 2025. "The impact of physician-patient gender match on healthcare quality: An experiment in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 380(C).
    2. Nadja van 't Hoff & Giovanni Mellace & Seetha Menon, 2025. "Gender Differences in Healthcare Utilisation -- Evidence from Unexpected Adverse Health Shocks," Papers 2509.01310, arXiv.org.
    3. Gordon Burtch & Alejandro Zentner, 2024. "Gender Bias and Property Taxes," Papers 2412.12610, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2025.
    4. Gallen, Yana & Wasserman, Melanie, 2023. "Does information affect homophily?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    5. Pruckner, Gerald J. & Stiftinger, Flora & Zocher, Katrin, 2025. "When women take over: Physician gender and health care provision," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    6. Francetic, I.; & Meacock, R.; & Siciliani, L.; & Sutton, M.;, 2024. "Disorderly queues: How does unexpected demand affect queue prioritisation in emergency care?," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 24/14, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    7. Dahlstrand Rudin, Amanda, 2022. "Defying distance? The provision of services in the digital age," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118042, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Amanda Dahlstrand, 2022. "Defying distance? The provision of services in the digital age," CEP Discussion Papers dp1889, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    9. Mette Gørtz & Ida L. Kristiansen & Tianyi Wang, 2024. "The Power of Daughters: How Physicians' Family Influences Female Patients' Health," NBER Working Papers 33146, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy

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