Health Care Costs and Corporate Investment
98 Pages Posted: 28 Dec 2020 Last revised: 12 Apr 2023
Date Written: October 12, 2020
Abstract
Health care costs for U.S. employers have tripled in the past twenty years. Using firm-specific health expense data, I show that firms negatively adjust capital expenditures and R&D expenses in response to changes in health care costs. The effects are more pronounced for firms that are financially constrained, employ more high-skilled workers, and have less bargaining power relative to insurers. Furthermore, policy uncertainty surrounding health care costs is substantial and discourages capital investment. The findings suggest that an elevated level of health care costs and the associated uncertainty limit a firm's ability to expand physically or through innovation.
Keywords: Investment; Healthcare; Insurance; Non-wage benefits; Health care policy uncertainty
JEL Classification: J32, G31, I11
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation