SOURCES OF GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN HEALTH CARE: EVIDENCE FROM PATIENT MIGRATION Amy Finkelstein Matthew Gentzkow Heidi Williams
We study the drivers of geographic variation in U.S. health care utilization, using an empirical strategy that exploits migration of Medicare patients to separate the role of demand and supply factors. Our approach allows us to account for demand differences driven by both observable and unobservable patient characteristics. Within our sample of over-65 Medicare beneficiaries, we find that 40–50% of geographic variation in utilization is attributable to demand-side factors, including health and preferences, with the remainder due to place-specific supply factors. JEL Codes: H51, I1, I11.
I. Introduction Health care utilization varies widely across the United States (Fisher et al. 2003a, 2003b). Adjusting for regional differ- ences in age, sex, and race, health care spending for the average Medicare enrollee in Miami, FL, was $14,423 in 2010, but just $7,819 for the average enrollee in Minneapolis, MN. The average enrollee in McAllen, TX spent $13,648, compared with $8,714 in nearby and demographically similar El Paso, TX.1 Similar geo- graphic variation is observed in the frequency of specific treat- ments (Chandra, Cutler, and Song 2012) and in measures of total