Downloads
Download working paper here
PDF | 1.29 MB
Narrow hospital networks have proliferated in health systems with managed care. We investigate the causal effect of network breadth on mortality leveraging the termination of the largest health insurer in Colombia. The termination caused a substantial increase in mortality accompanied by reductions in network breadth among incumbent insurers. We estimate that broad-network insurers reduce mortality because they steer patients to higher-quality providers and reduce hospital congestion. Results imply that patients should be reassigned to incumbent insurers based on the overlap of their network with the terminated insurer, and that policies requiring minimum network coverage are needed to maintain patient health.
Authors
Associate Professor Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Paul Rodríguez-Lesmes
Assistant Professor Stanford University
Research Fellow University College London
Marcos is a Research Fellow at IFS, an Affiliate at the Rural Education Action Program and a Professor of Economics at the University College London.
Working Paper details
- DOI
- 10.1920/wp.ifs.2024.2124
- Publisher
- Institute for Fiscal Studies
Suggested citation
Buitrago, G et al. (2024). The role of hospital networks in individual mortality. 24/21. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/role-hospital-networks-individual-mortality (accessed: 23 May 2024).
More from IFS
Understand this issue
If you can’t see it, you can’t be it: role models influence female junior doctors’ choice of medical specialty
24 April 2024
The NHS waiting list: when will it come down?
29 February 2024
Retirement is not always a choice that workers can afford to make
6 November 2023
Policy analysis
The past and future of UK health spending
14 May 2024
NHS spending has risen less quickly than was planned at the last election, despite the pandemic and record waiting lists
14 May 2024
Progression of nurses within the NHS
12 April 2024
Academic research
Forced displacement, mental health, and child development: Evidence from Rohingya refugees
10 May 2024
A senior doctor like me: Gender match and occupational choice
24 April 2024
Keeping the peace whilst getting your way: Information, persuasion and intimate partner violence
17 May 2024