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Retirement and healthcare utilization: Evidence from pension eligibility ages in South Korea

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  • Oh, Byeung-Kuk

Abstract

This paper investigates how crossing the normal pension eligibility age affects retirement status and healthcare utilization by using the exogenous rule for the public pension benefit and a dataset for the elderly population from South Korea — one of the high-income Asian countries. To overcome selection bias, I rely on a regression discontinuity design (RDD) to compare the outcomes of those barely above and below eligibility age thresholds. By using aggregate measures of healthcare utilization, I find that retirement increases inpatient care utilization, while it has a negative but statistically insignificant effect on outpatient care utilization. These results are qualitatively consistent with the existing evidence in the developing country documenting that retirement positively impacts inpatient care utilization.

Suggested Citation

  • Oh, Byeung-Kuk, 2024. "Retirement and healthcare utilization: Evidence from pension eligibility ages in South Korea," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joecag:v:27:y:2024:i:c:s2212828x23000580
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeoa.2023.100498
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pension; Retirement; Healthcare utilization; Regression discontinuity design;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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