The effects of patient cost‐sharing on adolescents' healthcare utilization and financial risk protection: Evidence from South Korea
利用韩国将16岁以下儿童住院自付比例从20%降至5%的改革，发现该政策增加了青少年住院服务使用并降低了自付支出，对低收入家庭影响更大，但未发现健康改善或家庭消费变化，暗示可能存在效率损失。
Abstract We examine the effects of patient cost‐sharing on adolescents' healthcare utilization and out‐of‐pocket medical expenditures by exploiting the healthcare reform in South Korea that lowered the coinsurance rate for inpatient care from 20% to 5% for children under 16. We apply a difference‐in‐regression‐discontinuities design using administrative claims data. We find that the reform increased adolescents' inpatient care utilization. It also reduced out‐of‐pocket healthcare expenditures. This effect was larger among low‐income households, facilitating income redistribution. However, the lack of evidence on health improvements and household consumption spending responses suggests that generous patient cost‐sharing for adolescent healthcare may cause efficiency losses.