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Did Marketplace coverage really offer financial protection? Financial gains from the Affordable Care Act's private insurance policies among the previously uninsured

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  • Naomi Zewde

Abstract

While the Affordable Care Act successfully expanded health insurance access, the law's private insurance component drew far fewer participants than projected. This study investigates the attractiveness of Marketplace insurance relative to uncompensated care provisions for those who remain uninsured. Using restricted‐access Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data, I find that for one in four previously uninsured consumers, bankruptcy costs less than meeting the deductible of the subsidized benchmark policy. Marketplace insurance reduces spending in only the top 3% most catastrophic potential scenarios these consumers face, on average. Net financial gain is more common among individuals in poor health (11% vs. 1%) or with assets to protect (3% vs.

Suggested Citation

  • Naomi Zewde, 2021. "Did Marketplace coverage really offer financial protection? Financial gains from the Affordable Care Act's private insurance policies among the previously uninsured," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 88(2), pages 413-427, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jrinsu:v:88:y:2021:i:2:p:413-427
    DOI: 10.1111/jori.12325
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Si Shi & Yawen Jiang, 2022. "Does supplemental private health insurance incentivize household risky financial asset investment? Evidence from the China Household Financial Survey," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 369-421, December.

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