讲座题目：Do Local Governments Represent Voter Preferences? Evidence from the Affordable Care Act on Local Government Support for Hospitals

主讲人：Justin M. Ross（美国印第安纳大学公共与环境事务学院）

讲座时间：2018年5月30日（周三）下午14: 30-16：30

讲座地点：中央财经大学学院南路校区主教1108会议室

ABSTRACT: Local governments participate in the health care system as both a patient care provider and third-party payer. In doing so, local governments represent the majority of the public health service economy, outspending state governments about \$3-to-\$2 on hospitals. Using data from the Census of Governments from 2006 to 2015, we employ a difference-in-difference framework to study the effect of the state decision to expand Medicaid on their local governments’ fiscal decisions. We find that local governments in areas that voted for Obama in the 2012 presidential election responded to their state's Medicaid expansion by increasing expenditures on hospitals, whereas those that voted for Romney reduced hospital expenditures and used the savings to reduce property taxes. This finding is not driven by an urban/rural distinction. We then extend this analysis to determine (1) the extent to which observed changes in local government financing are affected by changes in hospital revenue; and (2) assess the effect of these changes in local government funding on the finances of surrounding hospitals. We rule out the possibility that changes in local government spending are a response to hospital competition and find evidence that hospitals in Medicaid expansion states observed increased profits, following the expansion. This paper provides evidence on the responsiveness of local governments to the preferences of their voters under incentives introduced by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

主讲人简介：Justin M. Ross,西弗吉尼亚大学博士，美国印第安纳大学公共与环境事务学院副教授，地方政府治理协会主席。近年来，他的论文在National Tax Journal， Public Administration Review，Public Finance Review，Public Budgeting & Finance 等国际顶级期刊发表30余篇，参加了World Bank, State Tax Notes, Government Finance Review等国际会议研讨会。他还是 National Tax Association, Association for Budgeting & Financial Management, American Economics Association, Public Choice Society 与 Southern Economic Association的会员。