The Effects of Removing User Fees for Health Care on Child Development

Abstract

This article investigates the impacts of removing user fees for health care on child health. To evaluate the impacts of interest, we exploit the removal of user fees for health care in Kenya, which began in mid-2013. The findings suggest that children who were exposed to the removal were healthier than those who were not. Specifically, those exposed to the removal grow taller for their age by 0.22 standard deviations, weigh more for their age by 0.19 standard deviations, and weigh more for their height by 0.22 standard deviations. Our research implies that removing user fees for health care might be particularly beneficial for children.