Study Results from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in the Area of Healthcare Economics Reported (Free GP care and psychological health: Quasi-experimental evidence from Ireland)

2020 JUL 14 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Data detailed on Economics - Healthcare Economics have been presented. According to news reporting originating in Wuhan, People’s Republic of China, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “There is considerable ambiguity in the literature on the effect of health insurance on health. While the majority of previous analyses have examined physical health outcomes, analyses of the broader dimensions of health such as psychological health and wellbeing have been less frequent.”

Financial supporters for this research include The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Irish Department of Health, the Atlantic Philanthropies and Irish Life plc.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, “Using data from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) and a difference-in-differences research design, we examine the impact of free general practitioner (GP) care on psychological health among the older population and explore potential mechanisms. While we find no impact of public health insurance expansions on quality of life, life satisfaction, depression, and worry, the removal of GP fees for all those 70+ leads to a significantly lower level of perceived stress. The impact is mainly driven by poorer, sicker and single individuals.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Further analyses show that removing GP fees leads to greater access to GP services and lower levels of financial stress.”

For more information on this research see: Free GP care and psychological health: Quasi-experimental evidence from Ireland. Journal of Health Economics, 2020;72():102351. Journal of Health Economics can be contacted at: Elsevier Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Journal of Health Economics - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-health-economics/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Yuanyuan Ma, Wenlan School of Business, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China. Additional authors for this research include Anne Nolan and James P. Smith.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2020.102351. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

The publisher of the Journal of Health Economics can be contacted at: Elsevier Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)