Are public subsidies effective to reduce emergency care use of dependent people? Evidence from the PLASA randomized controlled trial.

Summary Support for the presentation by T.Rapp at the Handicap et Dépendance seminar on March 12, 2015. The purpose of the paper presented here is to evaluate the effect of French public subsidies financing the use of home help (Allocation personnalisée d'autonomie, APA) on the health of dependent elderly people (measured by the rate of emergency room visits). An instrumental variable model is implemented on the sample obtained by the Plasa randomized experiment (Plan of care and assistance in Alzheimer's disease, conducted between 2003 and 2007 at the Toulouse University Hospital). The results show a significant negative effect of the APA on the hospitalization rate.