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State Earned Income Tax Credits and the Production of Child Health: Insurance Coverage, Utilization, and Health Status

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  • Reagan A. Baughman
  • Noelia Duchovny

Abstract

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has been credited with reductions in poverty and increases in the labor force participation of single mothers. The credit has the potential to affect the health of children in recipient families through three channels: family income, maternal employment, and health insurance coverage patterns. We exploit variation in state-level EITCs to estimate the effects of the credit on health insurance coverage, utilization of medical care, and health status. We find that the EITC is associated with significant changes in health insurance coverage patterns for children age 6–14, increasing rates of private health insurance but producing offsetting decreases in public coverage. State EITCs are also associated with significant improvements in health status for older children, an effect consistent with higher family income.

Suggested Citation

  • Reagan A. Baughman & Noelia Duchovny, 2016. "State Earned Income Tax Credits and the Production of Child Health: Insurance Coverage, Utilization, and Health Status," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 69(1), pages 103-132, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:69:y:2016:i:1:p:103-132
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2016.1.04
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    Cited by:

    1. Engel, Katherine & Marcotte, Dave E., 2024. "Baby bump? Birth month, family income, and early childhood development," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    2. Markowitz, Sara & Komro, Kelli A. & Livingston, Melvin D. & Lenhart, Otto & Wagenaar, Alexander C., 2017. "Effects of state-level Earned Income Tax Credit laws in the U.S. on maternal health behaviors and infant health outcomes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 67-75.
    3. Otto Lenhart, 2019. "The effects of state‐level earned income tax credits on suicides," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(12), pages 1476-1482, December.
    4. Otto Lenhart, 2021. "Earned income tax credit and crime," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(3), pages 589-607, July.
    5. Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach & Michael R. Strain, 2021. "Employment Effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit: Taking the Long View," Tax Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 35(1), pages 87-129.
    6. Hema Shah & Lisa A. Gennetian, 2024. "Unconditional cash transfers for families with children in the U.S.: a scoping review," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 415-450, June.
    7. Alex Proshin, 2020. "Impact of Child Subsidies on Child Health, Well-being and Parental Investment in Human Capital: Evidence from Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey 2011-2017," PSE Working Papers halshs-02652268, HAL.
    8. Lebihan, Laetitia & Mao Takongmo, Charles-Olivier, 2018. "The impact of universal child benefits on family health and behaviours," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(4), pages 415-427.
    9. Kaitlyn M. Sims & Yang Wang & Barbara Wolfe, 2024. "Estimating impacts of the US EITC program on domestic violence," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 1483-1513, December.
    10. George L. Wehby & Dhaval M. Dave & Robert Kaestner, 2020. "Effects of the Minimum Wage on Infant Health," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(2), pages 411-443, March.
    11. Braga, Breno & Blavin, Fredric & Gangopadhyaya, Anuj, 2020. "The long-term effects of childhood exposure to the earned income tax credit on health outcomes," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    12. Wang, Julia Shu-Huah & Zhang, Jinbao & Fu, Tsung-Hsi, 2021. "The effects of universal child allowance on family expenditure in Taiwan," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    13. Lenhart, Otto & Chakraborty, Kalyan, 2024. "Income assistance programs and population health – The dual impact of minimum wages and the earned income tax credit," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    14. Engel, Katherine & Marcotte, Dave E., 2024. "Baby bump? Birth month, family income, and early childhood development," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    15. Nicardo S. McInnis & Katherine Michelmore & Natasha Pilkauskas, 2023. "The Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty and Public Assistance: Evidence from the Earned Income Tax Credit," NBER Working Papers 31429, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Olga Kondratjeva & Stephen P. Roll & Mathieu Despard & Michal Grinstein‐Weiss, 2021. "The impact of state earned income tax credit increases on material and medical hardship," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 872-910, September.
    17. Collin, Daniel F. & Shields-Zeeman, Laura S. & Batra, Akansha & White, Justin S. & Tong, Michelle & Hamad, Rita, 2021. "The effects of state earned income tax credits on mental health and health behaviors: A quasi-experimental study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    18. Alex Proshin, 2020. "Impact of Child Subsidies on Child Health, Well-being and Parental Investment in Human Capital: Evidence from Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey 2011-2017," Working Papers halshs-02652268, HAL.
    19. J. Michael Collins & Amrita Kulka, 2023. "Saving by buying ahead: stockpiling in response to lump‐sum payments," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(4), pages 451-484, December.
    20. Alex Proshin, 2023. "Impact of Child Subsidies on Child Health, Well-Being, and Investment in Child Human Capital: Evidence from Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey 2010–2017," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 39(1), pages 1-92, December.
    21. Braga, Breno & Blavin, Fredric & Gangopadhyaya, Anuj, 2019. "The Long-Term Effects of Childhood Exposure to the Earned Income Tax Credit on Health Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 12417, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    22. Otto Lenhart, 2019. "The effects of income on health: new evidence from the Earned Income Tax Credit," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 377-410, June.

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