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Medicare reimbursement, nurse staffing, and patient outcomes

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  • Kaestner, Robert
  • Guardado, Jose
Abstract
There is widespread concern about the quality of health care in the US, and the effect of provider payments on the quality of care is an important and unsettled issue in this debate. The critical question is whether changes in provider payments affect health. To date there is relatively little research on this question. Here, we present evidence of the effect of plausibly exogenous changes in Medicare reimbursement - caused by geographical reclassification - on hospital staffing (nurses) and patient outcomes. We find that changes in Medicare reimbursement levels of approximately 10% have no meaningful effect on hospital use of resources or patient outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Kaestner, Robert & Guardado, Jose, 2008. "Medicare reimbursement, nurse staffing, and patient outcomes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 339-361, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:27:y:2008:i:2:p:339-361
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    Cited by:

    1. Arndt R. Reichert & Magdalena A. Stroka, 2018. "Nursing home prices and quality of care — Evidence from administrative data," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(1), pages 129-140, January.
    2. Arndt R. Reicher & Magdalena Stroka, 2014. "Nursing Home Prices and Quality of Care - Evidence from Administrative Data," Ruhr Economic Papers 0470, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    3. Pott, Clara & Stargardt, Tom & Frey, Simon, 2023. "Does prospective payment influence quality of care? A systematic review of the literature," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 323(C).
    4. Christopher S. Brunt & Gail A. Jensen, 2014. "Pricing Distortions In Medicare'S Physician Fee Schedule And Patient Satisfaction With Care Quality And Access," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(7), pages 761-775, July.
    5. Peter McHenry & Jennifer Mellor, 2018. "Medicare hospital payment adjustments and nursing wages," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 169-196, June.
    6. Zack Cooper & Amanda E. Kowalski & Eleanor Neff Powell & Jennifer Wu, 2017. "Politics, Hospital Behavior, and Health Care Spending," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2106, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    7. repec:zbw:rwirep:0470 is not listed on IDEAS

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