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The effect of health insurance coverage on medical care utilization and health outcomes: Evidence from Medicaid adult vision benefits

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  • Lipton, Brandy J.
  • Decker, Sandra L.

Abstract

Increasing the proportion of adults that have regular, comprehensive eye exams and reducing visual impairment due to uncorrected refractive error and other common eye health problems are federal health objectives. We examine the effect of vision insurance on eye care utilization and vision health outcomes by taking advantage of quasi-experimental variation in Medicaid coverage of adult vision care. Using a difference-in-difference-in-difference approach, we find that Medicaid beneficiaries with vision coverage are 4.4 percentage points (p<0.01) more likely to have seen an eye doctor in the past year, 5.3 percentage points (p<0.01) less likely to report needing but not purchasing eyeglasses or contacts due to cost, 2.0 percentage points (p<0.05) less likely to report difficulty seeing with usual vision correction, and 1.2 percentage points (p<0.01) less likely to have a functional limitation due to vision.

Suggested Citation

  • Lipton, Brandy J. & Decker, Sandra L., 2015. "The effect of health insurance coverage on medical care utilization and health outcomes: Evidence from Medicaid adult vision benefits," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 320-332.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:44:y:2015:i:c:p:320-332
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2015.10.006
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    2. Boudreaux, Michel & Lipton, Brandy, 2018. "Medicaid Benefit Generosity and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Medicaid Adult Vision Benefits," MPRA Paper 83916, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Lipton, Brandy J. & Decker, Sandra L., 2016. "The effect of Medicaid adult vision coverage on the likelihood of appropriate correction of distance vision: Evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 258-267.
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    7. J Dustin Tracy & Kevin A James & Hillard Kaplan & Stephen Rassenti, 2021. "An investigation of health insurance policy and behavior in a virtual environment," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(4), pages 1-26, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health insurance; Medicaid expansions; Vision care;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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