This paper studies the impact of a person's severe health shocks on their spouse's healthcare behaviors. Using healthcare administrative data in China, we document that a person's initial cancer diagnosis has an immediate and lasting positive impact on their spouse's healthcare utilization. The results point to information spillovers as a primary mechanism and reveal a significant negative impact on mental health, while the negative effect of the financial burden is weak. Notably, there are significant gender differences in responses, with the impact more pronounced among wives. The results highlight the role of family coordination in responding to adverse health events in the developing country context.
本研究为自然科学基金重点项目：大数据环境下医保资源优化配置的支付机制与政策研究（批准号：72334002）资助研究成果。
