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Does the Availability of Parental Health Insurance Affect the College Enrollment Decision of Young Americans?

Author

Listed:
  • Diane M. Harnak Hall

    (Department of Family Studies and Community Development, Towson University)

  • Juergen Jung

    (Department of Economics, Towson University)

  • Thomas Rhoads

    (Department of Economics, Towson University)

Abstract

The present study examines whether the college enrollment decision of young individuals (student full-time, student part-time, non-student) depends on the availability of health insurance from their parents. Our findings indicate that the availability of parental health insurance has strong significant effects on the probability that a young individual enrolls as a full-time student. A young individual who has access to health insurance via a parent is up to 20.5 percent more likely to enroll as a full-time student than an individual without parental health insurance. After controlling for unobserved heterogeneity this probablity drops to 5.7 percent but is still highly significant. We also find that the marginal effect of the availability of parental health insurance has a larger effect on older students between age 21-23. We provide a brief discussion about possible implications of the Affordable Care Act 2010 in this context.

Suggested Citation

  • Diane M. Harnak Hall & Juergen Jung & Thomas Rhoads, 2010. "Does the Availability of Parental Health Insurance Affect the College Enrollment Decision of Young Americans?," Working Papers 2010-05, Towson University, Department of Economics, revised May 2011.
    • Handle: RePEc:tow:wpaper:2010-05
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Bradley Heim & Ithai Lurie & Kosali Simon, 2018. "Did the Affordable Care Act Young Adult Provision Affect Labor Market Outcomes? Analysis Using Tax Data," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 71(5), pages 1154-1178, October.
    2. Juergen Jung & Vinish Shrestha, 2018. "The Affordable Care Act And College Enrollment Decisions," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 56(4), pages 1980-2009, October.
    3. Bradley Heim & Ithai Lurie & Kosali Simon, 2015. "The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Young Adult Provision on Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Tax Data," Tax Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 29(1), pages 133-157.
    4. Li, Yajuan & Palma, Marco A., 2017. "Health Insurance and College Enrollment: Evidence from a Natural Experiment of the Affordable Care Act Dependent Coverage Mandate," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258490, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. David Yaskewich, 2015. "Dependent Health Insurance Laws and College Enrollment: Is There Evidence of College Lock?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 557-569, December.
    6. repec:mrr:papers:wp341 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Mónica García-Pérez, 2019. "DACA Recipients and Their Health Insurance Dream: Employment, Schooling, and Health Coverage," Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 77-108, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Occupational choice; health insurance; educational choice; survey of income and program participation (SIPP).;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C35 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General

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