Table 4.
Robustness to Alternative Specifications and Sample Restrictions for the Non-Elderly Insured (Ages 50 to 59) in HRS
| Specification | [Baseline] | Individual FEs | Balanced Panel | Wave FEs only | Additional demographic controls (Cubic in age; dummies for gender, race and education) | No Restriction for Pre-Period Obsevation | Poisson |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | |
| Panel A: Out-of-Pocket Medical Spending | |||||||
| 12-month effect | 3,275 | 3,461 | 2,362 | 3,286 | 3,244 | 3,486 | 1 |
| (373) | (409) | (663) | (349) | (373) | (356) | (0.130) | |
| [<.001] | [<.001] | [<.001] | [<.001] | [<.001] | [<.001] | [<.001] | |
| Average annual effect over 36 months | 1,429 | 1,531 | 1,426 | 1,395 | 1,389 | 1,363 | 0.47 |
| (202) | (228) | (485) | (191) | (203) | (209) | (0.083) | |
| [<.001] | [<.001] | [0.0033] | [<.001] | [<.001] | [<.001] | [<.001] | |
| Pre-hospitalization mean | 2,133 | 2,133 | 1,967 | 2,133 | 2,133 | 2,170 | 2,133 |
| Panel B: Working Part or Full-Time | |||||||
| 12-month effect | −8.9 | −8.4 | −2.5 | −9.9 | −8.2 | −8.5 | −0.14 |
| (1.8) | (1.9) | (3.8) | (1.8) | (1.8) | (2) | (0.026) | |
| [<.001] | [<.001] | [0.5] | [<.001] | [<.001] | [<.001] | [<.001] | |
| Average annual effect over 36 months | −10 | −9.5 | −2.9 | −11 | −8.4 | −8.7 | −0.16 |
| (1.9) | (1.9) | (4) | (1.9) | (1.9) | (2.1) | (0.026) | |
| [<.001] | [<.001] | [0.48] | [<.001] | [<.001] | [<.001] | [<.001] | |
| Pre-hospitalization mean | 74 | 74 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 73 | 74 |
| Panel C: Respondent Earnings | |||||||
| 12-month effect | −6,445 | −6,462 | 4,627 | −8,417 | −5,746 | −11,340 | −0.15 |
| (4,024) | (4,102) | (6,937) | (4,518) | (3,980) | (4,921) | (0.088) | |
| [0.11] | [0.12] | [0.5] | [0.062] | [0.15] | [0.021] | [0.091] | |
| Average annual effect over 36 months | −8,753 | −9,459 | −2,338 | −10,009 | −7,432 | −11,339 | −0.21 |
| (3,415) | (3,239) | (6,102) | (3,819) | (3,280) | (4,027) | (0.075) | |
| [0.01] | [0.0035] | [0.7] | [0.0088] | [0.023] | [0.0049] | [0.0042] | |
| Pre-hospitalization mean | 45,327 | 45,327 | 45,704 | 45,327 | 45,327 | 44,130 | 45,327 |
| Panel D: Spousal Earnings | |||||||
| 12-month effect | −444 | −1,610 | 4,014 | −635 | 200 | 1,623 | −0.019 |
| (3,851) | (4,242) | (5,915) | (3,924) | (3,840) | (4,240) | −0.12 | |
| [0.91] | [0.7] | [0.5] | [0.87] | [0.96] | [0.7] | [0.87] | |
| Average annual effect over 36 months | 572 | −129 | 2,971 | 977 | 1,841 | 1,956 | 0.014 |
| (3,114) | (3,474) | (4,532) | (3,144) | (3,096) | (3,337) | −0.096 | |
| [0.85] | [0.97] | [0.51] | [0.76] | [0.55] | [0.56] | [0.89] | |
| Pre-hospitalization mean | 30,718 | 30,718 | 32,332 | 30,718 | 30,718 | 30,338 | 30,718 |
| Panel E: Household Social Insurance Payments | |||||||
| 12-month effect | 503 | 289 | 297 | 1,008 | 139 | 634 | 0.12 |
| (379) | (420) | (724) | (423) | (380) | (454) | (0.15) | |
| [0.18] | [0.49] | [0.68] | [0.017] | [0.71] | [0.16] | [0.45] | |
| Average annual effect over 36 months | 881 | 958 | 585 | 1,516 | 367 | 924 | 0.18 |
| (338) | (343) | (649) | (357) | (337) | (365) | (0.14) | |
| [0.009] | [0.0053] | [0.37] | [<.001] | [0.28] | [0.011] | [0.19] | |
| Pre-hospitalization mean | 2,649 | 2,649 | 2,714 | 2,649 | 2,649 | 2,654 | 2,649 |
| Panel F: Total Household Income | |||||||
| 12-month effect | −8,443 | −9,208 | 12,240 | −9,084 | −7,632 | −12,375 | −0.1 |
| (6,857) | (7,297) | (11,564) | (7,523) | (6,778) | (8,116) | (0.081) | |
| [0.22] | [0.21] | [0.29] | [0.23] | [0.26] | [0.13] | [0.2] | |
| Average annual effect over 36 months | −8,161 | −9,097 | 3,633 | −7,398 | −6,321 | −10,336 | −0.1 |
| (5,709) | (5,837) | (9,985) | (6,208) | (5,536) | (6,479) | (0.068) | |
| [0.15] | [0.12] | [0.72] | [0.23] | [0.25] | [0.11] | [0.13] | |
| Pre-hospitalization mean | 82,512 | 82,512 | 84,598 | 82,512 | 82,512 | 80,880 | 82,512 |
| Number of Individuals | 2,732 | 2,732 | 1,018 | 2,732 | 2,732 | 4,271 | 2,727 |
| Number of Observations | 13,286 | 13,286 | 5,090 | 13,286 | 13,286 | 17,647 | 13,262 |
Notes: Sample is the non-elderly insured (see Table 1, column 1). Column 1 replicates baseline results from Table 2. The individual fixed effects specification (column 2) includes wave dummies and individual fixed effects. Column 3 re-estimates the baseline specification restricting the sample to a balanced panel of individuals who are observed in waves −2 through 2 relative to their hospitalization. Column 4 includes only wave fixed effects instead of cohort-by-wave fixed effects. Column 5 adds a cubic in age, male dummy, race dummies and education dummies along with the cohort-by-wave fixed effects. Column 6 re-estimates the baseline specification on an expanded sample that does not restrict on having a pre-admission survey wave interview. Column 7 re-estimates the baseline specification with a Poisson, rather than a linear, regression. All estimates are weighted using survey weights. The 12-month and average annual effects over 36 months are calculated as described in Appendix C.