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Health Insurance and the Labor Supply Decisions of Older Workers: Evidence from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Author

Listed:
  • Melissa A. Boyle
  • Joanna N. Lahey

Abstract

This paper exploits a major mid-1990s expansion in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care system to provide evidence on two important and interrelated U.S. policy issues: retirement policy and universal health care. Using data from the Current Population Survey, we compare the labor market behavior of older veterans and non-veterans before and after the VA health benefits expansion to test the impact of public health insurance on labor supply. We find that older workers are significantly more likely to stop working or to move from full- to part-time work after receiving access to non-employer based insurance. Older workers are also more likely to leave self-employment, a result inconsistent with "job-lock" effects of employer-based insurance, but consistent with a positive income effect from new access to public insurance. Some relatively disadvantaged subpopulations, however, may increase their labor supply after gaining greater access to public insurance, consistent with complementary positive health effects of health care access for these groups...

Suggested Citation

  • Melissa A. Boyle & Joanna N. Lahey, 2007. "Health Insurance and the Labor Supply Decisions of Older Workers: Evidence from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs," Working Papers, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College wp2007-23, Center for Retirement Research, revised Dec 2007.
    • Handle: RePEc:crr:crrwps:wp2007-23
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    File URL: http://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/health-insurance-and-the-labor-supply-decisions-of-older-workers-evidence-from-the-us-department-of-veterans-affairs/
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    Cited by:

    1. Robert W. Fairlie & Kanika Kapur & Susan Gates, 2016. "Job Lock: Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(1), pages 92-121, January.
    2. Gérard Cornilleau & Catherine Mathieu & Henri Sterdyniak & Vincent Touzé, 2010. "Les réformes des retraites en Europe dans la crise," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2010-17, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
    3. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/5l6uh8ogmqildh09h8492c58l is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/eu4vqp9ompqllr09hai2o91j4 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/eu4vqp9ompqllr09hai2o91j4 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/5l6uh8ogmqildh09h8492c58l is not listed on IDEAS
    7. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/5l6uh8ogmqildh09h8492c58l is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Vincent Touzé, 2010. "Le système de retraite américain : impact de la crise et tendances de long terme," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2010-27, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
    9. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/eu4vqp9ompqllr09hai2o91j4 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/5l6uh8ogmqildh09h8492c58l is not listed on IDEAS
    11. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/eu4vqp9ompqllr09hai2o91j4 is not listed on IDEAS

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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