Work

The Impact of Medicaid on Labor Market Activity and Program Participation: Evidence from the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: In 2008, a group of uninsured low-income adults in Oregon was selected by lottery for the chance to apply for Medicaid. Using this randomized design and 2009 administrative data, we find no significant effect of Medicaid on employment or earnings. Our 95 percent confidence intervals allow us to reject that Medicaid causes a decline in employment of more than 4.4 percentage points, or an increase of more than 1.2 percentage points. Medicaid increases food stamps receipt, but has little, if any, impact on receipt of other measured government benefits, including SSDI.

Source: American Economic Review

DOI: 10.1257/aer.104.5.322

Authors: Katherine Baicker, Amy Finkelstein, Jae Song, Sarah Taubman

Institutions: Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States Social Security Administration, National Bureau of Economic Research

Language: English

Topic: Healthcare Policy and Management

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, No poverty, Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, California Health Care Foundation, National Institute on Aging