博士研究生李桥鸽有关“Does energy poverty increase health care expenditures in China“的合作研究被Applied Economics接收。该研究首次构建了我国家庭能源贫困对个体健康医疗服务利用的理论分析框架并进一步进行系统地实证验证。

Abstract

Using the 2012-2018 waves of the China Family Panel Studies, we investigate the impact of energy poverty (EP) on health care expenditures among Chinese adults aged 18+. Employing a methodology combining a random effects two-part model and instrumental variable estimations, we show that EP leads to higher levels of total (305 yuan/year), out-of-pocket (199 yuan/year), inpatient (230 yuan/year) and other (113 yuan/year) health care expenditures, with more pronounced impacts among females and those living in urban areas and Eastern China. These results are robust not only to alternative EP and health care expenditure measures but also to a series of estimation approaches that control for endogeneity. An additional structural equation modeling analysis of the underlying pathways further reveals that this EP-health care expenditure relationship is mediated by individual self-reported health as well as expenditures on food and other daily necessities. Combating EP is an effective way to improve people’s health and reduce the burden on health care expenditures. Policymakers should also pay more attention to vulnerable groups such as women.

Keywords: energy poverty, health care expenditures, random effects two-part model; China

Weblink: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2023.2210823