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The role of health insurance in joint retirement among married couples

Author

Listed:
  • Kanika Kapur
  • Jeannette Rogowski

Abstract

This paper examines the role of employer provided health insurance in the retirement decisions of dual working couples. The near elderly have high-expected medical expenditures; therefore, availability of health insurance is an important factor in their retirement decisions. We determine if access to retiree health insurance for early retirement enables couples to time their retirement together – a behavior called “joint retirement.” We find that wives’ retiree health insurance more than doubles the propensity to retire jointly, suggesting that health insurance is an important consideration in coordinating retirement decisions among couples. Even though retiree health insurance has a substantial effect on joint retirement, its effect on overall employment patterns is modest, accounting for a 2 percentage point fall in employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Kanika Kapur & Jeannette Rogowski, 2006. "The role of health insurance in joint retirement among married couples," Working Papers 200614, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucn:wpaper:200614
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10197/954
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Joshua Congdon-Hohman, 2015. "Love, Toil, And Health Insurance: Why American Husbands Retire When They Do," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 33(1), pages 118-140, January.
    2. Stancanelli, Elena G. F., 2012. "Spouses' Retirement and Hours Outcomes: Evidence from Twofold Regression Discontinuity with Differences-in-Differences," IZA Discussion Papers 6791, IZA Network @ LISER.
    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. Merkurieva, Irina, 2023. "Retirement coordination and leisure complementarity," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    5. Vipul Bhatt, 2017. "Cohort Differences in Joint Retirement: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 475-495, December.
    6. James Marton & Stephen A. Woodbury, 2013. "Retiree Health Benefits as Deferred Compensation," Public Finance Review, , vol. 41(1), pages 64-91, January.
    7. Håkan Selin, 2017. "What happens to the husband’s retirement decision when the wife’s retirement incentives change?," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 24(3), pages 432-458, June.
    8. Warren, Diana A., 2015. "Retirement decisions of couples in Australia: The impact of spousal characteristics and preferences," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 6(C), pages 149-162.
    9. Bender, Keith A. & Mavromaras, Kostas & Theodossiou, Ioannis & Wei, Zhang, 2014. "The Effect of Wealth and Earned Income on the Decision to Retire: A Dynamic Probit Examination of Retirement," IZA Discussion Papers 7927, IZA Network @ LISER.
    10. Elena Stancanelli, 2012. "Spouses' Retirement and Hours of Work Outcomes: Evidence from Twofold Regression Discontinuity," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 12074, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    11. Julian Vedeler Johnsen & Kjell Vaage & Alexander Willén, 2022. "Interactions in Public Policies: Spousal Responses and Program Spillovers of Welfare Reforms," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(642), pages 834-864.
    12. Sefane Çetin & Alain Jousten, 2025. "Retirement Decision of Belgian Couples and the Impact of the Social Security System," De Economist, Springer, vol. 173(4), pages 519-557, December.
    13. Hanne Preter & Dorien Looy & Dimitri Mortelmans, 2015. "Retirement Timing of Dual-Earner Couples in 11 European Countries? A Comparison of Cox and Shared Frailty Models," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 396-407, September.
    14. Diana Warren, 2013. "Retirement Decisions of Couples: The Impact of Spousal Characteristics and Preferences on the Timing of Retirement," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2013n41, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    15. 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.
    16. Olsson, Martin & Skogman Thoursie, Peter, 2010. "Insured by the partner?," Working Paper Series 2010:3, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    17. 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.
    18. Elena Stancanelli, 2012. "Spouses' Retirement and Hours of Work Outcomes : Evidence from Twofold Regression Discontinuity," Sciences Po Economics Publications (main) halshs-00755648, HAL.
    19. Mika Haapanen & Jaakko Pehkonen & Ville Seppälä, 2023. "Couples' joint retirement by household type: Evidence from Finland," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 37(3), pages 409-436, September.
    20. Berangere Legendre & Annaig-C. Pedrant & Mareva Sabatier, 2018. "Should I stay or should I go? An econometric analysis of retirement decisions by couples," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(53), pages 5814-5829, November.
    21. Elena Stancanelli, 2012. "Spouses' Retirement and Hours of Work Outcomes : Evidence from Twofold Regression Discontinuity," Post-Print halshs-00755648, HAL.
    22. Stancanelli, Elena G. F., 2016. "Couples' Retirement under Individual Pension Design: A Regression Discontinuity Study for France," IZA Discussion Papers 10322, IZA Network @ LISER.
    23. Dhaval Dave & Sandra L. Decker & Robert Kaestner & Kosali I. Simon, 2015. "The Effect of Medicaid Expansions in the Late 1980s and Early 1990s on the Labor Supply of Pregnant Women," American Journal of Health Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(2), pages 165-193, Spring.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • J32 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions

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