Income receipt, economic activities, and health: Evidence from ambulance transport patterns
研究发现日本国民养老金发放日当天救护车出勤次数增加4.5%，与赌博、购物等经济活动增多有关，提示收入发放可能通过缓解流动性约束促进经济活动进而影响健康。
Studies indicate that mortality increases after income receipt. To explore whether this is due to increased economic activity around the period of receiving income, we examine within-month patterns in ambulance transport incidents, focusing on location and timing. Using Japan's National Pension payments made every two months, we compare the number of ambulance transport incidents on the day of pension payment and on surrounding days in payment months with those in non-payment months. The results show a 4.5% increase in ambulance transport incidents on the day of pension payment, linked to increased activities such as gambling, shopping, and dining out. We show suggestive evidence that income receipt boosts economic activities by the mechanism of easing liquidity constraints. These findings have implications for healthcare system preparedness and the optimal design of public benefit payment.