Researchers
Relative to other age groups, the elderly are disproportionately likely to become seriously ill and to face burdensome medical expenditures. Many middle-income countries like Colombia have begun experimenting with targeted public-sector health insurance. By exploiting discontinuities in eligibility formulas for health insurance subsidies, this project evaluated the consequences of a large targeted health insurance program for the well-being of the elderly in Colombia. The investigator presented his findings at a Research in Progress seminar in April 2008, and at the University of Chicago in June 2008. A publication, “Risk Protection, Service Use, and Health Outcomes Under Colombia's Health Insurance Program for the Poor”, is currently in press with the American Economic Journal.