From a new batch of papers out today from the National Bureau of Economic Research, three that are intriguing:
When food stamps were rolled out nationwide in the 1960s and 1970s, one effect was that the recipients worked less. (Abstract).
The market thought Scott Brown's election was good for health care stocks: "We find that the reduced likelihood of Health Reform's passage after the Brown election led to a significant increase in health industry stocks and average cumulative abnormal returns of 1.2 percent, corresponding to an increase in total market value of approximately $14.5 billion. Focusing on managed care (insurance) firms, we find an average cumulative abnormal return of 6.5 percent (a $6.7 billion increase in market value), with individual firms' cumulative abnormal returns ranging from around 5 to 9 percent." (Abstract.)
Hospital competition saves lives: "The English government introduced a policy in 2006 to promote competition between hospitals...We find that the effect of competition is to save lives without raising costs. Patients discharged from hospitals located in markets where competition was more feasible were less likely to die, had shorter length of stay and were treated at the same cost." (Abstract.)
