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The impact of expanding Medicaid on health insurance coverage and labor market outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • David E. Frisvold

    (University of Iowa)

  • Younsoo Jung

    (University of Iowa)

Abstract

Expansions of public health insurance have the potential to reduce the uninsured rate, but also to reduce coverage through employer-sponsored insurance (ESI), reduce labor supply, and increase job mobility. In January 2014, twenty-five states expanded Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act to low-income parents and childless adults. Using data from the 2011–2015 March Current Population Survey Supplements, we compare the changes in insurance coverage and labor market outcomes over time of adults in states that expanded Medicaid and in states that did not. Our estimates suggest that the recent expansion significantly increased Medicaid coverage with little decrease in ESI. Overall, the expansion did not impact labor market outcomes, including labor force participation, employment, and hours worked.

Suggested Citation

  • David E. Frisvold & Younsoo Jung, 2018. "The impact of expanding Medicaid on health insurance coverage and labor market outcomes," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 99-121, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:ijhcfe:v:18:y:2018:i:2:d:10.1007_s10754-017-9226-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10754-017-9226-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lingchen Liu & Renji Sun & Yan Gu & Kung Cheng Ho, 2020. "The Effect of China’s Health Insurance on the Labor Supply of Middle-aged and Elderly Farmers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-23, September.
    2. Lucie Schmidt & Lara Shore-Sheppard & Tara Watson, 2019. "The Impact of Expanding Public Health Insurance on Safety Net Program Participation: Evidence from the ACA Medicaid Expansion," NBER Working Papers 26504, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Lizhong Peng & Xiaohui Guo & Chad D. Meyerhoefer, 2020. "The effects of Medicaid expansion on labor market outcomes: Evidence from border counties," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(3), pages 245-260, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Medicaid; Labor supply; Health insurance; Employment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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