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The Impact of Health Insurance on Stockholding: A Regression Discontinuity Approach

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  • Christelis, Dimitris

    (University of Naples Federico II)

  • Georgarakos, Dimitris

    (European Central Bank)

  • Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna

    (Universidad de Alicante)

Abstract

Using data from the US Health and Retirement Study, we study the causal effect of increased health insurance coverage through Medicare and the associated reduction in health-related background risk on financial risk-taking. Given the onset of Medicare at age 65, we identify our effect of interest using a regression discontinuity approach. We find that getting Medicare coverage induces stockholding for those with at least some college education, but not for their less-educated counterparts. Hence, our results indicate that a reduction in background risk induces financial risk-taking in individuals for whom informational and pecuniary stock market participation costs are relatively low.

Suggested Citation

  • Christelis, Dimitris & Georgarakos, Dimitris & Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna, 2014. "The Impact of Health Insurance on Stockholding: A Regression Discontinuity Approach," IZA Discussion Papers 8635, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8635
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    Cited by:

    1. Angrisani, Marco & Atella, Vincenzo & Brunetti, Marianna, 2018. "Public health insurance and household portfolio Choices: Unravelling financial “Side Effects” of Medicare," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 198-212.
    2. Padmaja Ayyagari & Daifeng He, 2017. "The Role of Medical Expenditure Risk in Portfolio Allocation Decisions," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(11), pages 1447-1458, November.
    3. Dal Borgo, Mariela, 2021. "Do bankruptcy protection levels affect households' demand for stocks?," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 564, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    4. Christelis, Dimitris & Georgarakos, Dimitris & Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna, 2020. "The impact of health insurance on stockholding: A regression discontinuity approach," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    5. Inmaculada Aguiar-Díaz & María Victoria Ruiz-Mallorqui, 2022. "Private Health Insurance and Financial Risk Taking in Spain—The Moderating Effect of Subjective Risk Tolerance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Panchalingam, Thadchaigeni, 2020. "Effects of Public Health Insurance Expansions on Consumption Expenditures of Targeted Households," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304513, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Zhongda Li & Lu Liu & Jiayu Shi & Yubing Sui, 2021. "Health insurance, risk attitudes, and household financial behavior," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 1239-1246, May.
    8. Zhang, Weike & Meng, Jia & Tian, Xiaoli, 2020. "Does de-capacity policy enhance the total factor productivity of China's coal companies? A Regression Discontinuity design," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    9. Takao Asano & Yusuke Osaki, 2022. "Precautionary Saving against Correlation under Risk and Ambiguity," KIER Working Papers 1071, Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    regression discontinuity; stockholding; Medicare; health insurance; household finance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

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