Photo of Abe C. Dunn.

Assistant Chief Economist

Abe C. Dunn

Education

Ph.D.
University of Texas at Austin
Economics
2006
B.A.
University of Oregon
Economics and Mathematics
2000

Areas of Interest

Health
Applied Econometrics
Industrial Organization
Paper (BEA-WP2023-3)

Consumption Zones (PDF)

Andrea Batch , Benjamin R. Bridgman , Abe C. Dunn , and Mahsa Gholizadeh

Are Medical Care Prices Still Declining? A Systematic Examination of Quality-Adjusted Price Index Alternatives for Medical Care tanya.shen Thu, 05/30/2019 - 13:35
Working Paper

More than two decades ago a well-known study provided evidence from heart attack treatments suggesting that prices in medical care were actually declining, when appropriately adjusted for quality. Our paper revisits this subject looking at a large number of conditions and more recent and more comprehensive data sources to compare alternative methods of quality adjustment. A method based on utility theory produces the most robust and accurate results, while the alternative methods used in recent work overstate inflation. Based on claims data for three medical conditions as well as data on medical innovations from over 7,000 cost-effectiveness studies spanning all major condition categories and types of treatment, we find that, when properly adjusted for quality, declining prices from innovation are a prevalent feature of this sector. These findings have important implications for the measurement of medical care output and productivity.

 

Seidu Dauda , Abe C. Dunn , and Anne E. Hall

Working Paper ID
WP2019-3
Does Medicare Part D Save Lives? pedro.urquilla Mon, 05/14/2018 - 13:49
Paper

We examine the impact of Medicare Part D on mortality for the population over the age of 65. We identify the effects of the reform using variation in drug coverage across counties before the reform was implemented. Studying mortality rates immediately before and after the reform, we find that cardiovascular-related mortality drops significantly in those counties most affected by Part D. Estimates suggest that up to 26,000 more individuals were alive in mid-2007 because of the Part D implementation in 2006.

Abe C. Dunn and Adam Shapiro

Working Paper ID
WP2015-2
I10