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Health Insurance Coverage and the Macroeconomy

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  • John Cawley
  • Kosali I. Simon

Abstract

The primary objective of this paper is to improve our understanding of the historic relationship between state and national macroeconomic climate and the health insurance coverage of Americans. The secondary objective of this paper is to use the historic findings to estimate how the number of uninsured Americans changed during the 2001 recession, and to estimate whether to date enough people have gained health insurance during the current recovery to offset the losses during the recession. We conclude that the macroeconomy (measured by state unemployment rate and real gross state product) is correlated with the probability of men's health insurance coverage and that this correlation is only partly explained by changes in men's employment status. Counter-cyclical health insurance programs such as Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program seem to ensure that the health insurance coverage of women and children is insulated from macroeconomic changes. We estimate that 851,000 Americans, the vast majority of whom were adult men, lost health insurance due to macroeconomic conditions alone during the 2001 recession.

Suggested Citation

  • John Cawley & Kosali I. Simon, 2003. "Health Insurance Coverage and the Macroeconomy," NBER Working Papers 10092, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:10092
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Janet Currie & Jonathan Gruber, 1996. "Health Insurance Eligibility, Utilization of Medical Care, and Child Health," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 111(2), pages 431-466.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs

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