Dipartimento di Scienze economico-sociali e matematico-statistiche

Descrizione del progetto

Prenatal screening tests can identify genetic disorders in a fetus, but their take-up remains low in several countries. Using a Regression Discontinuity Design, we test the causal effects of a policy that eliminated copayments for noninvasive prenatal screening tests in Italy. We find that the policy increases the probability of pregnant women’s undergoing prenatal tests by 7 to 10 percentage points, and the effect varies by socioeconomic status. We do not find evidence of substitution effects with invasive tests or that the tests affect newborn health. We do find evidence of positive effects on mothers’ health behaviors during pregnancy.