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Self-Employment and the Role of Health Insurance

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  • Gumus, Gulcin

    (Florida Atlantic University)

  • Regan, Tracy L.

    (Boston College)

Abstract

We investigate the effect of health insurance on labor market transitions in and out of self-employment as well as on the likelihood of being self-employed. We consider the role of individual health insurance coverage along with that from a spouse. Next, we examine a series of tax deductions granted to the self-employed through amendments made to the 1986 Tax Reform Act. Using data from the Current Population Survey for 1996-2007, we find significant but small effects of the after-tax health insurance premium on the entry rate, with no effect on exits from self-employment or the likelihood of being self-employed.

Suggested Citation

  • Gumus, Gulcin & Regan, Tracy L., 2009. "Self-Employment and the Role of Health Insurance," IZA Discussion Papers 3952, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3952
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Fossen, Frank M. & König, Johannes, 2015. "Public health insurance and entry into self-employment," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 112934, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    2. Patel, Pankaj C. & Wolfe, Marcus T. & Williams, Trenton A., 2019. "Self-employment and allostatic load," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 731-751.
    3. Jun Yeong Lee & John V. Winters, 2022. "State Medicaid Expansion and the Self-Employed," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 925-954, October.
    4. Thealexa Becker & Didem Tuzemen, 2014. "Self-employment and health care reform: evidence from Massachusetts," Research Working Paper RWP 14-16, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
    5. Srikant Devaraj & Pankaj C Patel, 2017. "Health insurance and employee productivity: Findings from the 2007 Survey of Business Owners," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 37(2), pages 1351-1364.
    6. Frank M. Fossen & Johannes König, 2017. "Public health insurance, individual health, and entry into self-employment," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(3), pages 647-669, October.
    7. Le, Nga & Groot, Wim & Tomini, Sonila M. & Tomini, Florian, 2019. "Health insurance and self-employment transitions in Vietnam," MERIT Working Papers 2019-008, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    8. Bei Luo & Terence Tai-Leung Chong, 2019. "Regional differences in self-employment in China," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 813-837, October.
    9. Velamuri, Malathi, 2009. "Taxes, Health Insurance and Women’s Self-Employment," MPRA Paper 15731, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Brown, Sarah & Dietrich, Michael & Ortiz-Nuñez, Aurora & Taylor, Karl, 2011. "Self-employment and attitudes towards risk: Timing and unobserved heterogeneity," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 425-433, June.
    11. Li, Yajuan & Palma, Marco A. & Towne, Samuel, 2017. "Does Health Insurance Provision Improve Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship? Evidence from State Insurance Mandates," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258399, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Heim, Bradley T. & Lurie, Ithai Z., 2010. "The effect of self-employed health insurance subsidies on self-employment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(11-12), pages 995-1007, December.
    13. Azuara, Oliver & Marinescu, Ioana, 2013. "Informality and the expansion of social protection programs: Evidence from Mexico," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 938-950.
    14. Bradley Heim & Ithai Lurie, 2014. "Does health reform affect self-employment? Evidence from Massachusetts," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 917-930, December.
    15. Azuara, Oliver & Marinescu, Ioana, 2011. "Informality and the expansion of social protection programs," MPRA Paper 35073, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Le, Nga & Groot, Wim & Tomini, Sonila & Tomini, Florian, 2018. "Health insurance and self-employment transitions in Vietnam: A multinomial analysis," MERIT Working Papers 2018-039, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    17. Nga Le Thi Quynh & Groot, Wim & Tomini, Sonila M. & Tomini, Florian, 2017. "Effects of health insurance on labour supply: A systematic review," MERIT Working Papers 2017-017, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ORG; health insurance; self-employment; CPS;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J32 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions
    • J48 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Particular Labor Markets; Public Policy
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets

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