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Household Labor Search, Spousal Insurance, and Health Care Reform

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  • Hanming Fang
  • Andrew J. Shephard

Abstract

Health insurance in the United States for the working age population has traditionally been provided in the form of employer-sponsored health insurance (ESHI). If employers offered ESHI to their employees, they also typically extended coverage to their spouse and dependents. Provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) significantly alter the incentive for firms to offer insurance to the spouses of employees. We evaluate the long-run impact of ACA on firms’ insurance offerings and on household outcomes by developing and estimating an equilibrium job search model in which multiple household members are searching for jobs. The distribution of job offers is determined endogenously, with compensation packages consisting of a wage and menu of insurance offerings (premiums and coverage) that workers select from. Using our estimated model we find that households’ valuation of employer-sponsored spousal health insurance is significantly reduced under ACA, and with an “employee-only” health insurance contract emerging among low productivity firms. We relate these outcomes to the specific provisions in the ACA.

Suggested Citation

  • Hanming Fang & Andrew J. Shephard, 2019. "Household Labor Search, Spousal Insurance, and Health Care Reform," NBER Working Papers 26350, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:26350
    Note: EH LS PE
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    1. Household Labor Search, Spousal Insurance, and Health Care Reform
      by Christian Zimmermann in NEP-DGE blog on 2019-10-28 20:06:12

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    3. Annika Bacher & Philipp Grübener & Lukas Nord, 2024. "Joint Search over the Life Cycle," Working Papers 05/2024, Centre for Household Finance and Macroeconomic Research (HOFIMAR), BI Norwegian Business School.
    4. Luke Haywood, 2023. "Gendered Effects of the Minimum Wage," UB School of Economics Working Papers 2023/450, University of Barcelona School of Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • J32 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions

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