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Does having more time after retirement change the demand for physician services?
1Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York.
Medical Care
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Retirement does not increase demand for physician services for men whose health permits work. However, retirement increases physician visits by 14% compared to full-time self-employment.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare utilization research
- Gerontology
- Health economics
Background:
- Previous research has not examined the impact of retirement-associated nonwork time on ambulatory physician service demand.
- The 1983 Amendments to the Social Security Act aimed to discourage early retirement, potentially affecting healthcare usage patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether discouraging early retirement reduces medical service use.
- To determine if individuals who continue working have less demand for physician visits due to time constraints compared to retirees.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of physician service demand in relation to retirement status.
- Comparison of healthcare utilization between retirees and different employment statuses (part-time, full-time employee, full-time self-employed).
Main Results:
- For men with good health and no in-hospital care, retirement did not significantly increase demand for ambulatory services compared to employment.
- Retirement was associated with a 14% increase in the probability of using any physician services and two additional visits annually compared to full-time self-employment.
Conclusions:
- Retirement's impact on ambulatory physician service demand varies by employment status, particularly affecting the self-employed.
- Policy changes discouraging early retirement may have nuanced effects on healthcare utilization, influenced by work flexibility and economic factors.