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Measuring Changes in Disparity Gaps: An Application to Health Insurance

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  • Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham
  • Karen Jiang
  • Zirui Song
  • Jacob Wallace

Abstract

We propose a method for reporting how program evaluations reduce gaps between groups, such as the gender or Black-White gap. We first show that the reduction in disparities between groups can be written as the difference in conditional average treatment effects (CATE) for each group. Then, using a Kitagawa-Oaxaca-Blinder-style decomposition, we highlight how these CATE can be decomposed into unexplained differences in CATE in other observables versus differences in composition across other observables (e.g. the "endowment"). Finally, we apply this approach to study the impact of Medicare on American's access to health insurance.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham & Karen Jiang & Zirui Song & Jacob Wallace, 2022. "Measuring Changes in Disparity Gaps: An Application to Health Insurance," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 112, pages 356-360, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:apandp:v:112:y:2022:p:356-60
    DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20221111
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    1. Flores-Lagunes, Alfonso & Jales, Hugo B. & Liu, Judith & Wilson, Norbert L., 2023. "Moving Policies Toward Racial and Ethnic Equality: The Case of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1272, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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