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The Impact of Health Reform on Job Mobility: Evidence from Massachusetts

Author

Listed:
  • Bradley T. Heim

    (School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University)

  • Ithai Z. Lurie

    (US Department of the Treasury)

Abstract

This paper estimates the impact of the implementation of the 2006 Massachusetts health reform on job mobility. Theoretically, the effect is ambiguous, as the public health insurance expansion and low-income subsidies would be expected to increase mobility, but the employer mandate and price effects could either increase or decrease mobility depending on the relative impacts on an individual's current job and the attractiveness of other modes of employment or retirement. Utilizing data from tax returns that span 2002–10, in which job changes are identified using employer information reported on W-2 forms, we estimate the impact of the Massachusetts reform using a difference-in-differences approach, comparing the prevalence of job changes in Massachusetts to those of a comparison group, while controlling for individual fixed effects. The estimates suggest the Massachusetts reform generally did not have a significant impact on job separations overall, though it may have increased separations from primary jobs among married women. There is evidence, however, that mobility increased among low-income married couples, young married men, and older married women.

Suggested Citation

  • Bradley T. Heim & Ithai Z. Lurie, 2015. "The Impact of Health Reform on Job Mobility: Evidence from Massachusetts," American Journal of Health Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(3), pages 374-398, Summer.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:amjhec:v:1:y:2015:i:3:p:374-398
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    Cited by:

    1. Pauline Leung & Alexandre Mas, 2018. "Employment Effects of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansions," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(2), pages 206-234, April.
    2. 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.
    3. Laura J. Owen, 2017. "Part-time Employment and Health Insurance Reform: What Can Massachusetts Tell Us about the Affordable Care Act?," Review of Social Sciences, LAR Center Press, vol. 2(3), pages 1-8, March.
    4. Serakos Maria & Wolfe Barbara, 2016. "The ACA: Impacts on Health, Access, and Employment," Forum for Health Economics & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 19(2), pages 201-259, December.
    5. 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.
    6. Scott Barkowski, 2020. "Does government health insurance reduce job lock and job push?," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 87(1), pages 122-169, July.
    7. Wei Si, 2021. "Public health insurance and the labor market: Evidence from China's Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 403-431, February.
    8. Jane G. Gravelle & Sean Lowry, 2016. "The Affordable Care Act, Labor Supply, and Social Welfare," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 69(4), pages 863-882, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D0 - Microeconomics - - General
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General

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