Improving Healthcare Utilization in Retired Self-Employed Workers: Evidence From an Experiment in France

This study examines the impact of a program designed to address the non-take-up of social benefits on healthcare utilization among targeted at-risk formerly self-employed workers in France. We test two main hypotheses: first, that sending a self-assessment questionnaire to the treated group can increase healthcare use; second, that personalized assistance from a social worker can enhance this effect. Utilizing a quasi-experimental framework (2014-2016) and synthetic difference-in-differences models to address selective entry into the various treatments, our results reveal that proactive information outreach alone increased healthcare utilization by 0.6%, while the combined approach with personalized assistance amplified this effect to 2%. In all configurations, access to services and healthcare consumption improved, while care pathways shifted, potentially toward preventive and early-stage treatments. Our findings support the use of multiple uptake strategies, such as targeting, proactive outreach, and tailored integrated benefit packages, in overcoming barriers to healthcare.