The Impact of TRAP Laws on the Supply of Maternal Healthcare Providers
研究了美国各州2010-2021年逐步实施的TRAP法律（针对堕胎提供者的法规）如何影响妇产科医生及其他孕产妇医疗服务提供者的供给，发现该法律导致妇产科医生数量显著下降，且其他医疗人员未能替代这一缺口。
This paper examines the impact of Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws on the supply and composition of maternal healthcare providers, particularly obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs). We exploit the staggered enactment of TRAP laws across U.S. states from 2010 to 2021 using a propensity score matching and stacked difference-in-differences approach. Our analytic sample includes physician-, county- and state-level measures of OB/GYN supply, newly graduated OB/GYNs, medical school and residency program applicants, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) who practice women's healthcare, as well as advanced practice nurse midwives. TRAP law enactment is associated with a statistically significant reduction of 2.09 in OB/GYN supply per 100,000 females aged 15-44 (6.6% relative to the baseline). This decline is particularly pronounced among OB/GYNs aged 55-64. For OB/GYNs under 34, the estimates suggest a decline but this finding should be interpreted cautiously given pre-trends. TRAP laws also are associated with a reduction in the supply of newly graduated OB/GYNs from lower-ranked medical schools. We find no evidence that NPs, PAs, or midwives substitute for the decline in OB/GYNs. Mechanism analyses provide suggestive evidence that the supply contraction operates through exit rather than relocation. These findings highlight unintended consequences of abortion restrictions on broader maternal healthcare provision.