Public Health Insurance Programs Evaluation

With the growing elderly population, we are aware ofthe increasing resource needs for medical care andanticipate an increasing burden on social welfaresystem. Medicaid and Medicare are at the edge offinancing crisis at both the federal and state level.This book examines effects of Medicaid and Medicareon medical care use for U.S. elderly from an academicperspective of economics. Medicaid studies identifyelderly eligible for Medicaid who consist of twogroups - the targeted pre-existing poor and thenon-targeted elderly who may spend down to beeligible. Exploring Medicaid participationdeterminants and spend-down behaviors, we estimateeffects of Medicaid on medical services use. Medicarestudy tracks adults for a period of ten years, thatis four years prior to Medicare and six yearsafterward. Identifying individuals' private healthinsurance status prior to Medicare as previouslyinsured and uninsured, we compare their medicalexpenses and health outcomes biannually before andafter coming into Medicare. The studies should shedsome light on how Medicaid and Medicare fare to date,and should be especially useful to researchers andpolicy-makers in health related areas.