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Does Publicly Provided Health Insurance Improve the Health of Low-Income Children in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Robert Kaestner
  • Theodore Joyce
  • Andrew Racine

Abstract

In this study we analyze the effect of Medicaid on children's heath. We examine the effect of Medicaid on a variety of health outcomes using two data sources: the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) of hospital discharges. Using the NHIS, we examine the effect of Medicaid participation on maternal ratings of child health and maternal reports of the number of bed days in the past year (i.e. morbidity). The NIS data was used to examine the effect of Medicaid program expansions on the incidence of ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) discharges. ACS discharges are known to be sensitive to medical intervention and are objective measures of children's health. The results of this paper provide at best weak support for the hypothesis that Medicaid improves the health of low-income children.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Kaestner & Theodore Joyce & Andrew Racine, 1999. "Does Publicly Provided Health Insurance Improve the Health of Low-Income Children in the United States," NBER Working Papers 6887, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:6887
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Janet Currie & Jonathan Gruber, 1996. "Health Insurance Eligibility, Utilization of Medical Care, and Child Health," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 111(2), pages 431-466.
    2. White, Halbert, 1980. "A Heteroskedasticity-Consistent Covariance Matrix Estimator and a Direct Test for Heteroskedasticity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 48(4), pages 817-838, May.
    3. Janet Currie & Duncan Thomas, 1995. "Medical Care for Children: Public Insurance, Private Insurance, and Racial Differences in Utilization," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 30(1), pages 135-162.
    4. Wasilewski, Y. & Clark, N.M. & Evans, D. & Levison, M. & Levin, B. & Meilins, R.B., 1996. "Factors associated with emergency department visits by children with asthma: Implications for health education," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 86(10), pages 1410-1415.
    5. Michael Grossman, 1972. "The Demand for Health: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number gros72-1, July.
    6. Esel Y. Yazici & Robert Kaestner, 1998. "Medicaid Expansions and The Crowding Out of Private Health Insurance," NBER Working Papers 6527, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jonathan Gruber, 2003. "Medicaid," NBER Chapters, in: Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States, pages 15-78, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Genevieve Kenney & Christopher Trenholm & Lisa Dubay & Myoung Kim & Lorenzo Moreno & Jamie Rubenstein & Anna Sommers & Stephen Zuckerman & William Black & Fredric Blavin & Grace Ko, "undated". "The Experiences of SCHIP Enrollees and Disenrollees in 10 States: Findings from the Congressionally Mandated SCHIP Evaluation," Mathematica Policy Research Reports cb55b5872601468486fbd7b43, Mathematica Policy Research.
    3. Jonathan Meer & Harvey S. Rosen, 2002. "Insurance, Health, and the Utilization of Medical Services," Working Papers 117, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..
    4. Manan Roy, 2011. "How Well Does the U.S. Government Provide Health Insurance?," Departmental Working Papers 1102, Southern Methodist University, Department of Economics.
    5. Craig William Perry & Harvey S. Rosen, 2001. "The Self-Employed are Less Likely to Have Health Insurance Than Wage Earners. So What?," NBER Working Papers 8316, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Winnie Yip & Peter Berman, 2001. "Targeted health insurance in a low income country and its impact on access and equity in access: Egypt's school health insurance," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 10(3), pages 207-220, April.
    7. repec:mpr:mprres:5075 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Avi Dor & Joseph Sudano & David W. Baker, 2003. "The Effects of Private Insurance on Measures of Health: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study," NBER Working Papers 9774, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Anna Aizer, 2007. "Public Health Insurance, Program Take-Up, and Child Health," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(3), pages 400-415, August.
    10. Craig William Perry & Harvey Rosen, 2001. "Insurance and the Utilization of Medical Services Among the Self-Employed," CESifo Working Paper Series 580, CESifo.
    11. repec:pri:cepsud:85rosen is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Jonathan Meer & Harvey S. Rosen, 2002. "Insurance, Health, and the Utilization of Medical Services," Working Papers 117, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..
    13. Donald R. Davis & David E. Weinstein, 2001. "Market Size, Linkages, and Productivity: A Study of Japanese Regions," NBER Working Papers 8518, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Shishu Zhang & Gregory J. Soukup, 2015. "Factors that influence the selection and utilization of children’s medical insurance," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(1), pages 1010882-101, December.
    15. Bronchetti, Erin Todd, 2014. "Public insurance expansions and the health of immigrant and native children," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 205-219.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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