TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Gendre, Alexandra de
AU  - Lynch, John
AU  - Meunier, Aurélie
AU  - Pilkington, Rhiannon
AU  - Schurer, Stefanie
        TI  - Child Health and Parental Responses to an Unconditional Cash Transfer at Birth
        PY  - 2021/Aug/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 14693
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp14693
        AB  - We estimate the impact on child health of the unanticipated introduction of the Australian Baby Bonus, a $3,000 one-off unconditional cash transfer at birth. Using regression discontinuity methods and linked administrative data from South Australia, we find that treated babies had fewer preventable, acute, and urgent hospital presentations—medical care available without co-payments—in the first two years of life. The payment later increased demand for elective care, which requires planning, medical referrals, and often co-payments. Our effects are strongest for disadvantaged families. Our findings suggest that up to 34% of the payout were recouped within the first year.
        KW  - unconditional cash transfers
KW  - baby bonus
KW  - child health
KW  - health care utilization
KW  - regression discontinuity design
KW  - natural experiment
KW  - linked administrative data
        ER  -