Public and Private Options in Practice: The Military Health System
Michael Frakes, Jonathan Gruber, Timothy Justicz
Abstract
Recent debates over health care reform, including in the context of the Military Health System (MHS) and Veterans Administration, highlight the dispute between public and private provision of health care services. Using novel data on childbirth claims from the MHS and drawing on the combination of plausibly exogenous patient moves and heterogeneity across bases in the availability of base hospitals, we identify the impact of receiving obstetrical care on versus off military bases. We find evidence that off-base care is associated with slightly greater resource intensity, but also notably better outcomes, suggesting marginal efficiency gains from care privatization.
Topics & Concepts
Context (archaeology)Health careChildbirthBusinessPublic economicsAdministration (probate law)Public healthNursingMedicinePolitical scienceEconomicsLawPregnancyBiologyPaleontologyGeneticsGlobal Health Care IssuesHealthcare Policy and ManagementGlobal Maternal and Child Health