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on Health Economics |
| By: | Eric Budish; Maya M. Durvasula; Benjamin N. Roin; Heidi L. Williams |
| Abstract: | For large classes of potential inventions, intellectual property rights that are available on paper are either not possible or not profitable for firms to enforce in practice. In this paper, we show that these missing incentives yield quantitatively significant underinvestment in research and development. We develop a simple model that formalizes the conditions under which such missing markets for innovation arise. We identify an empirical setting—research into new uses for existing drugs—in which there is sharp variation in the enforceability of intellectual property rights on otherwise comparable inventions over time. We show that when intellectual property rights become unenforceable, research investment and commercialization nearly cease. In doing so, we test two claims central both to our model and the innovation literature more generally—that stronger intellectual property protection does, in fact, induce investment, and that heterogeneity in the availability of these rights distorts investment. The welfare consequences of inadequate incentives in our empirical context are large. Our estimates suggest that 200-800 new uses for existing drugs would have been developed under counterfactual policies. Measures of the value of these uses drawn from existing literature suggest that the social cost of this particular missing market is on the order of several trillion dollars. |
| JEL: | D47 I10 I18 K23 L65 O0 O3 O30 O34 |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34222 |
| By: | William P. Luan; Roxana Leal; John S. Zhou; Jonathan S. Skinner |
| Abstract: | There is increasing evidence on regional variations in U.S. Medicare utilization based on older patients who move. Yet evidence is limited for younger ages in the U.S., and movers may differ systematically from those who don’t move. In this paper, we harness the mandatory migration of military personnel and dependents (age 5 to 64) to estimate supply and demand factors in a system of care in which military physicians are salaried and copayments and deductibles are negligible. In our sample of 3 million enrollees, we find that place or supply effects explain as much as 80 percent of the overall regional variation for both the entire sample and for active-duty personnel. These regional place effects are correlated across age groups, with correlations as high as 0.84 between middle-aged and older military enrollees. These regional supply-side variations cannot be explained by differences in health, financial incentives, or quality of care, but appear consistent with location-specific differences in physician beliefs. |
| JEL: | H56 I1 I11 |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34204 |
| By: | Charles F. Manski; John Mullahy |
| Abstract: | This paper considers quantile-welfare evaluation of health policy as an alternative to utilitarian evaluation. Manski (1988) originally proposed and studied maximization of quantile utility as a model of individual decision making under uncertainty, juxtaposing it with maximization of expected utility. That paper's primary motivation was to exploit the fact that maximization of quantile utility requires only an ordinal formalization of utility, not a cardinal one. This paper transfers these ideas from analysis of individual decision making to analysis of social planning. We begin by summarizing basic theoretical properties of quantile welfare in general terms rather than related specifically to health policy. We then propose a procedure to nonparametrically bound the quantile welfare of health states using data from binary-choice time-tradeoff (TTO) experiments of the type regularly performed by health economists. After this we assess related econometric considerations concerning measurement, using the EQ-5D framework to structure our discussion. |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2509.05529 |
| By: | Lavy, Victor (University of Warwick, Hebrew University, and NBER); Rachkovski, Genia (Tel Aviv University); Yoresh, Omry (London School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | Literature has shown that air pollution can have short- and long-term adverse effects on physiological and cognitive performance. In this study, we estimate the effect of increased pollution levels on the likelihood of accidents in construction sites, a significant factor related to productivity losses in the labor market. Using data from all construction sites and pollution monitoring stations in Israel, we find a strong and significant causal effect of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), one of the primary air pollutants, on construction site accidents. We find that a 10-ppb increase in NO2 levels increases the likelihood of an accident by as much as 25 percent. Importantly, our findings suggest that these effects are non-linear. While moderate pollution levels, according to EPA standards, compared to clean air levels, increase the likelihood of accidents by 138 percent, unhealthy levels increase it by 377 percent. We present a mechanism where the effect of pollution is exacerbated in conditions with high cogitive strain or reduced awareness. Finally, we perform a cost-benefit analysis, supported by a nonparametric estimation calculating the implied number of accidents due to NO2 exposure, and examining a potential welfare-improving policy to subsidize the closure of construction sites on highly polluted days. |
| Keywords: | Workplace Accidents ; Labor Productivity ; Air Pollution, Government Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wrk:warwec:1575 |
| By: | Hicks, Jeffrey |
| Abstract: | How does in-person support affect access to safety net programs? I study this question by examining how the closure of field offices has changed welfare and disability assistance caseloads. Using rich administrative data and a staggered difference-in-differences design, I estimate that closures, on average, reduced local caseloads by 11.5% for welfare and a statistically insignificant 1.6% for disability assistance. Declines in welfare caseloads (i) occurred across demographic, health, education, and eligibility groups, (ii) were somewhat larger among young and healthier individuals, and (iii) were suggestively larger among persons less familiar with the programs. On the whole, I find limited change in the relative targeting of benefits. |
| Keywords: | welfare, disability assistance, screening, take-up |
| JEL: | H31 H83 H75 H53 I32 I38 J18 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:clefwp:325487 |
| By: | Gross, Tal; Layton, Tim; Prinz, Daniel; Yates, Julia |
| Abstract: | This paper studies how couples in the Medicare Part D program choose an insurance plan. Over 70 percent of enrollees choose the same plan as their spouse. Even among those with differing health care needs, well over half do so. Discrete- choice models suggest that beneficiaries place a value of more than $1, 000 per year on being on the same plan as their spouse. Using a regression-discontinuity design, the paper shows that younger spouses disproportionately follow their older spouse’s plan choice. Joint plan choice contributes modestly to overall overspending, but increases costs substantially for couples with different cost-minimizing plans. |
| Date: | 2025–09–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11207 |
| By: | Hamid Noghanibehambari; Jason Fletcher |
| Abstract: | An old and debated line of research examines the income-mortality relationship and finds mixed evidence. In this paper, we re-evaluate previous studies using a new dataset and implementing a difference-in-difference model based on a Notch in Social Security retirement benefits to overcome selection and endogeneity issues. We employ Social Security Administration death records and find a positive income-longevity relationship. Moreover, we find more pronounced effects among low-educated individuals and people from low socioeconomic status families. Analyses using census data suggest that part of the reductions in retirement income are offset by wage income due to post-retirement labor force participation. Past age 80, the net adverse effects of the policy on both income and longevity become more pronounced. |
| JEL: | H40 H50 I1 I18 J1 |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34199 |
| By: | Elena Cottini (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore); Lorena Popescu; Luca Salmasi (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore); Gilberto Turati (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) |
| Abstract: | This study examines the causal impact of PM2.5 air pollution exposure on premature mortality in Southern European cities from 2010 to 2018. To address endogeneity, we leverage local variations in rainfall as a source of random variation in PM2.5 exposure. Using the Two-Sample Two-Stage Least Squares (TS2SLS) estimator to reconcile monitoring station-level and city-level data, our findings reveal a statistically significant increase in premature mortality caused by PM2.5. According to our preferred specification, a 1% increase in PM2.5 causes a 1.13% rise in the under-65 mortality rate and a 1.41% rise in the infant mortality rate. The results are robust to alternative specifications. The most affected populations are those residing in urban areas (relative to suburban areas) and individuals living in cities located in richer regions (as opposed to poorer ones). |
| Keywords: | air pollution, PM2.5, cities, premature mortality, TS2SLS. |
| JEL: | I18 Q53 Q58 |
| Date: | 2025–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ctc:serie1:def143 |
| By: | Benjamin W. Cowan; Todd R. Jones |
| Abstract: | This paper examines how people adjust their time use when they experience an increase in time spent alone, which is a growing share of adults’ lives. We utilize the dramatic rise in remote work following the onset of the pandemic, which is associated with a large decline in time spent in the physical presence of non-household members during the workday, to observe the extent to which individuals substitute toward more in-person interactions in non-work settings. We first document that on days that individuals work from home, they spend 3.5 additional hours in activities spent entirely alone and over 5 fewer hours in activities that include any non-household members. We then use a difference-in-difference strategy to ask what happens to time allocations when workers are induced toward remote work by analyzing changes over time in how workers in teleworkable occupations—who experienced the lion’s share of the post-COVID increase in remote work—spend their time relative to workers in non-teleworkable occupations. Averaging over all days of the week, we see a relative increase in time spent in activities spent entirely alone by 32 minutes and a decrease in activities that include any non-household members by 38 minutes for workers in teleworkable jobs. Normalizing by the increase in average daily remote work time (46 minutes), these estimates are of a similar magnitude to what we observe in our descriptive analysis. When individuals are induced to work from home, they exhibit almost no substitution toward spending more time with others who are not in their household to make up for the loss of time with others at work. |
| Keywords: | work from home, social isolation, time use |
| JEL: | J22 J24 I31 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12117 |
| By: | Asena Caner; Belgi Turan; Berna Tari Kasnakoğlu; Yenal Can Yiğit; Donald S. Kenkel; Alan D. Mathios |
| Abstract: | This study investigates consumer stated preferences for manufactured cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco, and vapes in Türkiye, with a focus on how product attributes shape choices of adult consumers. A discrete choice experiment embedded in an online survey examines the role of prices of these products, flavor availability, and most importantly the legal status of vapes. Results indicate strong price sensitivity, both to own prices and to the prices of substitutes. In addition, legal status emerges as a critical factor that shapes stated preferences: consumers exhibit a marked aversion to products that are banned or sold illegally. However, scenario analyses suggest that vapes would capture a substantial market share even under strict prohibition. The hypothetical scenario of a complete ban would likely have a modest effect on the cessation of nicotine products while shifting choices toward traditional combustible tobacco products. These findings highlight the limits of prohibition and underscore the importance of regulatory design. In particular, the treatment of legal status, together with pricing and taxation policies, plays a decisive role in shaping consumer behavior and public health outcomes. |
| JEL: | I12 |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34201 |
| By: | Anthony Scott (Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School, Monash University); Susan Méndez (Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne); Jongsay Yong (Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of a fall in demand for voluntary private health insurance on physician behaviour. We find that dual practice physicians who earned more revenue from working in private hospitals before the fall in demand for PHI were more likely to experience a fall in the volume of private hospital care and a less complex mix of in-hospital services provided. Risk-averse doctors drove this reduction in complexity. There was weak evidence suggesting that doctors compensated for the fall in volume by increasing their working hours in public hospitals and reducing fees for in-hospital services. We found no evidence of higher volumes of care in out-of-hospital visits to compensate for the lower in-hospital volumes, but some weak evidence of claiming for more complex and costly out-of-hospital services, which we interpret as upcoding. Compensatory behaviours were small and primarily observed among risk- averse male doctors with low conscientiousness, from non-surgical specialties, and located in areas with lower doctor density. |
| Keywords: | health insurance, physician behaviour |
| JEL: | I11 I13 J44 |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mhe:chemon:2025-14 |
| By: | Lingguo Cheng (School of Business, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China); Hong Liu (China Economics and Management Academy, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China); Ye Zhang (School of Business, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China); Ke Shen (School of Social Development and Public Policy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China); Yi Zeng (Center for Healthy Aging and Development Studies, National School of Development, Peking University, Beijing, China; Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Geriatrics Division of School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the effects of China's New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) on health outcomes and healthcare expenditure of the elderly in rural China, using panel data from the 2005 and 2008 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. We employ a strategy that combines propensity score matching with a difference-in-differences approach to address selection bias. Results show that the NCMS has significantly improved the elderly enrollees' activities of daily living and cognitive function but has not led to better self-assessed general health status. We find no significant effect of NCMS on mortality for the previously uninsured elderly in NCMS counties, although there is moderate evidence that it is associated with reduced mortality for the elderly enrollees. We also find that the elderly participants are more likely to get adequate medical services when sick, which provides a good explanation for the benefcial health effects of NCMS. However, there is no evidence that the NCMS has reduced their out-of-pocket spending. Further more, we also find that low-income seniors benefit more from NCMS participation in terms of health outcomes and perceived access to health care, suggesting that the NCMS helps reduce health inequalities among the rural elderly. |
| Keywords: | China, health insurance, health outcome, health spending, the elderly |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cuf:wpaper:781 |
| By: | Ai, Jingyi; Chen, Xi; Feng, Jin; Xie, Yufei |
| Abstract: | The study examines the early effects of cognitive-impairment (CI) friendly communities on health care utilization among older adults in Shanghai, China. By exploiting the rollout of CI-friendly communities and employing a difference-indifferences approach, we evaluate the impact of CI-friendly communities. We find that CI-friendly communities significantly increase the probability and frequency of visiting cognition-disease-related departments (CRD) by 0.7 (13.73%) percentage points and 0.02 (17.24%) times, respectively. In particular, the effect is more pronounced for individuals not previously received CRD care. The dominant mechanisms may include information and early screening effects. Additionally, CI-friendly communities affect health care utilization in other positive ways, such as reducing emergency room (ER) visits and promoting primary care use. |
| Keywords: | CI-friendly community, health care utilization, awareness of cognitive impairment |
| JEL: | I18 J14 I11 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1666 |
| By: | Ying Cui (School of Economics, Capital University of Economics and Business, China; China Economics and Management Academy, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China); Hong Liu (China Economics and Management Academy, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China); Liqiu Zhao (School of Labor and Human Resources, Renmin University of China, China) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the causal impact of mother's schooling on various outcomes of adoles- cent development by exploiting the temporal and geographical variations in the enforcement of compulsory schooling laws in China. Using data from China Family Panel Studies, we find that mother's education increases adolescents' school enrollment, math test scores, college aspiration, and internal locus of control related to education. Mother's education also improves adolescent mental health status and reduces the incidence of underweight. We also find considerable gender heterogeneity in the effects of mother's education. The results further indicate that mother's education leads to an increase in family resources for children and an improvement in maternal mental health and parenting, which we interpret as potential mechanisms behind our findings. |
| Keywords: | Mother's education, School reforms, Child development, China |
| JEL: | I21 I24 J13 J24 O15 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cuf:wpaper:783 |
| By: | Jia Dan; Xu Pai |
| Abstract: | The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases poses a significant challenge to global efforts to alleviate poverty, promote health equity, and control healthcare costs. This study adopts a structural approach to explore how patients manage chronic diseases by making trade-offs between inpatient care and ambulatory care outpatient services. Specifically, it investigates whether disadvantaged populations make distinct trade-offs compared to the general population and examines the impact of anti-poverty programs that reduce inpatient cost-sharing. Using health insurance claims data from a rural county in China, the study reveals that disadvantaged individuals tend to avoid ambulatory care unless it substantially lowers medical expenses. In contrast, the general population is more likely to prioritize ambulatory care, even at higher costs, to prevent disease progression. The findings also indicate that current anti-poverty insurance policies, which focus predominantly on hospitalization, inadvertently decrease ambulatory care usage by 23\%, resulting in increased healthcare costs and a 46.2\% decline in patient welfare. Counterfactual analysis suggests that reducing cost-sharing for ambulatory care would be a more cost-effective strategy for improving health outcomes and supporting disadvantaged populations than providing travel subsidies. |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2509.09223 |
| By: | Lombardini, Simone; Kondylis, Florence; Lerva, Benedetta; Heirman, Jonas; Khincha, Roshni; Uckat, Hannah Irmela |
| Abstract: | Poor nutritional choices and unhealthy behaviors are considered responsible for the rise in childhood overweight and obesity and may reinforce each other, creating a vicious cycle. This paper studies a primary school intervention designed to break the cycle early in life by replacing date bars with calorie-equivalent meals lower in sugar and fat. Leveraging the randomized pilot of a menu change in Jordan’s national school feeding program, the study shows that children consuming the alternative meals spend 8 percent less money to buy processed snacks, are more physically active (0.1 standard deviation), and go to school one extra day per year. |
| Date: | 2025–09–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11208 |
| By: | Si, Yafei; Meng, Yurun; Chen, Xi; An, Ruopeng; Mao, Limin; Li, Bingqin; Bateman, Hazel; Zhang, Han; Fan, Hongbin; Zu, Jiaqi; Gong, Shaoqing; Zhou, Zhongliang; Miao, Yudong; Fan, Xiaojing; Chen, Gang |
| Abstract: | The rapid development of AI solutions reveals opportunities to address the underdiagnosis and poor management of chronic conditions in developing settings. Using the method of simulated patients and experimental designs, we evaluate the quality, safety, and disparity of medical consultation with ERNIE Bot in China among 384 patient-AI trials. ERNIE Bot reached a diagnostic accuracy of 77.3%, correct drug prescriptions of 94.3%, but prescribed high rates of unnecessary medical tests (91.9%) and unnecessary medications (57.8%). Disparities were observed based on patient age and household economic status, with older and wealthier patients receiving more intensive care. Under standardized conditions, ERNIE Bot, ChatGPT, and DeepSeek demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy but a greater tendency toward overprescription than human physicians. The results suggest the great potential of ERNIE Bot in empowering quality, accessibility, and affordability of healthcare provision in developing contexts but also highlight critical risks related to safety and amplification of sociodemographic disparities. |
| Keywords: | Generative AI, simulated patient, healthcare, quality and safety, health disparities |
| JEL: | C0 I10 I11 C90 C93 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1665 |
| By: | Costa-Font, Joan; Rodriguez-Monguio, Rosa |
| Abstract: | This editorial introduces the special issue dedicated to commemorating the life and scholarly achievements of Professor Joan Rovira Forns, a distinguished health economist whose pioneering work continues to influence global health policy and research. We discuss why Professor Rovira was a prominent figure in the field and summarise some of his key contributions. Next, we highlight the collection of papers featured in this issue, explaining how they connect to his work and contribute to his lasting legacy by celebrating his interdisciplinary approach and dedication to societal impact. |
| Keywords: | health economics; HTA; pricing; equity; interdisciplinary social science |
| JEL: | J1 |
| Date: | 2025–09–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:128984 |
| By: | Mookerjee, Mehreen; Ojha, Manini; Roy, Sanket; Yadav, Kartik |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the relationship between alcohol consumption and women's empowerment. Drawing on two rounds of nationally representative NFHS data from India and employing a difference-in-differences strategy, we show that a sharp decline in alcohol availability due to an alcohol prohibition policy, led to significant gains in women's agency. Women report greater decision-making power in health care, large household purchases, family visits, and the use of husbands' earnings, with effects ranging from 11.2 to 14.2 percentage points. We also find improvements in women's mobility and reductions in barriers to seeking medical care. A key mechanism appears to be a reduction in husbands' alcohol consumption, accompanied by a decline in reported control issues. Our results are robust across alternative estimation strategies, outcome definitions, placebo and falsification tests, and alternative treatment-control specifications. Heterogeneity analysis indicates particularly strong effects for rural, poorer, and socially disadvantaged women, underscoring the potential of alcohol control policies to enhance women's empowerment in patriarchal contexts. |
| Keywords: | empowerment, agency, decision-making, alcohol consumption, alcohol ban, India |
| JEL: | D78 J16 D12 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1662 |
| By: | Krenz, Astrid; Strulik, Holger |
| Abstract: | At any given age, adult men die at a higher rate than women. In many developed countries, increasing excess mortality of men has been demonstrated for cohorts born in the late nineteenth century and thereafter. The decline in infectious diseases is believed to have contributed to the increase in male excess mortality. Here, we focus on India during 1990–2019, a period in which the Indian states experienced, to varying degrees, the epidemiological transition. We show that male excess mortality evolves positively over the observation period, is greater in later-born cohorts, and is strongly associated with the decline in infectious disease mortality. We propose a simple theory that explains these facts by a greater influence of infections on the biological aging of women compared to men. We calibrate the model with Indian data and show that it can replicate the feature of rising male excess mortality over time and birth year of cohorts. |
| Keywords: | epidemiological transition; male excess mortality; biological aging; India |
| JEL: | J11 J16 N35 |
| Date: | 2025–09–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:129467 |
| By: | Laura Ketter; Todd Morris; Lizi Yu |
| Abstract: | This paper documents a robust link between COVID-19 lockdowns and the uptake and persistence of working from home (WFH) practices. Exploiting rich longitudinal data, we use a difference-in-differences strategy to compare office workers in three heavily locked-down Australian states to similar workers in less affected states. Locked-down workers sustain 43% higher WFH levels through 2023 - 0.5 days per week - with a monotonic dose-response relationship. Persistence is driven by adjustments on both sides of the labor market: employers downsize office space and open remote or hybrid positions, while employees relocate away from city centers and invest in home offices and technology. |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2506.16671 |
| By: | Ha Luong; Judit Vall-Castello; Lídia Farré |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the underfunding of female-dominated cancers in Europe and explores the mechanisms underlying the unequal distribution of research grants. Using a novel owned- collected dataset of projects granted by the European Commission under three framework programmes, we show that male-dominated cancers receive 3.7% more funding than female- dominated cancers. Our analysis suggests that this difference is likely driven by the over- representation of male researchers in cancer research and the higher proportion of male members on evaluation panels, which favors funding towards male-dominated cancer projects. We find no suggestive evidence that the funding gap is explained by gender gaps in receiving grants, superior research outputs, or greater disease burden. By uncovering the underfunded situation of female-dominated cancers, this study contributes to our understanding of the allocation of research funding across diseases and its implications for health equity. |
| Keywords: | cancer research, funding, gender |
| JEL: | I10 I14 I19 |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bge:wpaper:1509 |
| By: | Francesco Chiocchio (CEMFI); Jeremy Greenwood (University of Pennsylvania); Nezih Guner (CEMFI); Karen Kopecky |
| Abstract: | At the onset of COVID-19, U.S. labor-force participation fell by about 3 percentage points and remained below pre-pandemic levels three years later. Recovery was slower in states hit harder by the pre-pandemic opioid crisis, measured by age-adjusted overdose death rates. An event study shows that a one-standard-deviation increase in pre-COVID opioid deaths led to a 0.9 percentage point drop in post-COVID labor participation. This effect wasn't due to differences in overall health across states and was stronger among those without a college degree. In high-opioid states, slower recovery was linked to more people leaving the workforce due to disability. |
| Keywords: | health, disability |
| JEL: | I12 I14 J11 J12 J21 |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hka:wpaper:2025-007 |