Improving Healthcare Utilization in Retired Self‐Employed Workers: Evidence From an Experiment in France

This study examines the impact of a program designed to address the non‐take‐up of social benefits on healthcare utilization among targeted at‐risk formerly self‐employed workers in France. We test two main hypotheses: first, that sending a self‐assessment questionnaire to the treated group can increase healthcare use; second, that personalized assistance from a social worker can enhance this effect. Utilizing a quasi‐experimental framework (2014–2016) and synthetic difference‐in‐differences models to address selective entry into the various treatments, our results reveal that proactive information outreach alone increased healthcare utilization by 0.6%, while the combined approach with personalized assistance amplified this effect to 2%. In all configurations, access to services and healthcare consumption improved, while care pathways shifted, potentially toward preventive and early‐stage treatments. Our findings support the use of multiple uptake strategies, such as targeting, proactive outreach, and tailored integrated benefit packages, in overcoming barriers to healthcare.