Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/268909 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
CEBI Working Paper Series No. 05/22
Publisher: 
University of Copenhagen, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI), Copenhagen
Abstract: 
We investigate whether primary care physician and patient concordance in terms of socio-economic status (SES) reduces the SES inequality in health. We measure physicians' SES by their childhood SES and find that SES concordance decreases low-SES patients' mortality, while high-SES patients' mortality does not depend on their physicians' background. Together, they translate to a 24% reduction in the SES-mortality gradient. SES concordance changes the health behavior of the patient and increases treatment of chronic conditions: low-SES patients with lowSES physicians receive more care at the intensive margin, have a higher detection of chronic conditions, and have higher adherence to treatment.
Subjects: 
Health inequality
physician practice style
intergenerational transmission
family background
socio-economic status
health behaviors
JEL: 
I12
I14
J62
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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