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In Sickness and in Health: Interaction Effects of State and Federal Health Insurance Coverage Mandates on Marriage of Young Adults

Author

Listed:
  • Scott Barkowski
  • Joanne Song McLaughlin

Abstract

We study the interaction of state and federal dependent health insurance mandates on young adult marriages. Using a new data set on state-level mandates, we show marriage restrictions of these laws reduced marriage likelihoods by about two percentage points. When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted, its mandate ended marriage restrictions, encouraging marriage among those previously eligible for state mandates. However, among those ineligible for state mandates, it discouraged marrying to obtain insurance through spouses. The combination of these contrasting ACA effects eliminated the marriage gap. We also find these marriage effects resulted in corresponding impacts on out-of-wedlock births.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott Barkowski & Joanne Song McLaughlin, 2022. "In Sickness and in Health: Interaction Effects of State and Federal Health Insurance Coverage Mandates on Marriage of Young Adults," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(2), pages 637-688.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:57:y:2022:i:2:p:637-688
    Note: DOI: 10.3368/jhr.57.2.0118-9295R2
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    File URL: http://jhr.uwpress.org/cgi/reprint/57/2/637
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. J Matthew Hampton & Otto Lenhart, 2019. "'Til insurance do us part: the effect of the affordable care act preexisting conditions provision on marriage," Working Papers 1902, University of Strathclyde Business School, Department of Economics.
    2. Elliott Isaac & Haibin Jiang, 2025. "Tax-Based Marriage Incentives in the Affordable Care Act," National Tax Journal, University of Chicago Press, vol. 78(2), pages 369-413.
    3. Tianxu Chen, 2019. "Health Insurance and Marriage Behavior: Will Marriage Lock Hold Under Healthcare Reform?," Working papers 2019-10, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics.
    4. Scott Barkowski & Joanne Song McLaughlin & Alex Ray, 2020. "A Reevaluation of the Effects of State and ACA Dependent Coverage Mandates on Health Insurance Coverage," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(3), pages 629-663, June.
    5. Tom Potoms & Sarah Rosenberg, 2024. "Public insurance and marital outcomes: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansions," IFS Working Papers W24/53, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    6. Wozniak, Abigail & Baker, Michael T. & Carter, Susan P., 2024. "Peer Effects and Marriage Formation," IZA Discussion Papers 17443, IZA Network @ LISER.
    7. Hanming Fang & Andrew J. Shephard, 2019. "Household Labor Search, Spousal Insurance, and Health Care Reform," NBER Working Papers 26350, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • K0 - Law and Economics - - General

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