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Hospital Queues, Patient Health, and Labor Supply

  • Anna Godøy
  • Venke F. Haaland
  • Ingrid Huitfeldt
  • Mark Votruba
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
vol. 16, no. 2, May 2024
(pp. 150-81)
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Abstract

Long waits for health care raise concerns about the consequences of delayed treatment. We use variation in queue congestion to estimate effects of wait time for orthopedic surgery. We do not find that longer wait times lead to increased health care utilization. However, we do find persistent reductions in labor supply: long waits increase medium to long-term work absences and permanent disability receipt. Effects are driven by individuals who are on sick leave at referral. Our results are consistent with patterns of state dependence, where extended periods of temporary disability while awaiting treatment create persistent barriers to returning to work.

Citation

Godøy, Anna, Venke F. Haaland, Ingrid Huitfeldt, and Mark Votruba. 2024. "Hospital Queues, Patient Health, and Labor Supply." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 16 (2): 150-81. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20210399

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • I11 Analysis of Health Care Markets
  • I12 Health Behavior
  • I18 Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
  • J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
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