This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (15) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Buchmueller, T. C. Articles by Kahn, J. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Buchmueller, T. C. Articles by Kahn, J. G. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Book Review: The Effect of Health Insurance on Medical Care Utilization and Implications for Insurance Expansion: A Review of the Literature

University of California, Irvine

Kevin Grumbach

University of California, San Francisco

Richard Kronick

University of California, San Diego

James G. Kahn

University of California, San Francisco

Both the costs and benefits associated with extending health insurance coverage depend on the extent and exact ways in which health insurance affects the utilization of medical care. We review the literature relating to such effects with the goal of informing researchers interested in simulating the impact of policy initiatives aimed at achieving universal coverage. Overall, this literature is quite consistent in finding significant effects of insurance on all types of utilization. Insurance coverage increases outpatient utilization by roughly 1 visit per year for children and between 1 and 2 visits for adults. For both children and adults, these visits are associated with an increased receipt of preventive care. Insurance coverage also increases inpatient utilization for children and adults; for children, there is some evidence that insurance coverage reduces ambulatory care sensitive hospital admissions.

Key Words: health insurance • health care reform

Medical Care Research and Review, Vol. 62, No. 1, 3-30 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/1077558704271718


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. L. Anthony, M. B. Herndon, P. M. Gallagher, A. E. Barnato, J. P.W. Bynum, D. J. Gottlieb, E. S. Fisher, and J. S. Skinner How Much Do Patients' Preferences Contribute To Resource Use? Health Aff., May 1, 2009; 28(3): 864 - 873. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Kreider and S. C. Hill Partially Identifying Treatment Effects with an Application to Covering the Uninsured J. Human Resources, April 1, 2009; 44(2): 409 - 449. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. M. Saunders Forty Seven Million Strong, Weak, Wrong, or Right: Living Without Health Insurance Qualitative Inquiry, June 1, 2008; 14(4): 528 - 545. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. Ward and P. Franks Changes in Health Care Expenditure Associated with Gaining or Losing Health Insurance Ann Intern Med, June 5, 2007; 146(11): 768 - 774. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Lewis, W. Mouradian, R. Slayton, and A. Williams Dental insurance and its impact on preventive dental care visits for U.S. children J Am Dent Assoc, March 1, 2007; 138(3): 369 - 380. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]