Essays on Health Economics

This dissertation explores the behavior of health care providers and consumers, with a focus on understanding how changes in health policies affect the efficiency and quality of care of health care systems. Chapter 1 evaluates the impact of a change in Medicare reimbursements for nursing wages on hospital production decisions. Chapter 2 evaluates the impact of Medicare coverage policies on the utilization of cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography. Chapter 3 evaluates the impact of receiving treatment with antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS on the demand for substance use