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Using Discontinuous Eligibility Rules to Identify the Effects of the Federal Medicaid Expansions on Low Income Children

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Abstract

Despite intensive scrutiny, the effects of Medicaid expansions on the health insurance status of low-income children remain controversial. We re-examine the effects of the two largest federally-mandated expansions which offered Medicaid coverage to low-income children in specific age ranges and birth cohorts. We use a regression discontinuity approach, comparing Medicaid enrollment, private insurance coverage, and overall insurance coverage on either side of the age limits of the laws. We conclude that the modest impacts of the expansions on health insurance coverage arose because of very low takeup rates of the newly available coverage, rather than from crowd-out of private insurance coverage.

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  • David Card & Lara D. Shore-Sheppard, 2003. "Using Discontinuous Eligibility Rules to Identify the Effects of the Federal Medicaid Expansions on Low Income Children," Department of Economics Working Papers 2003-09, Department of Economics, Williams College.
  • Handle: RePEc:wil:wileco:2003-09
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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.
    2. Angrist, Joshua D. & Krueger, Alan B., 1999. "Empirical strategies in labor economics," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 23, pages 1277-1366, Elsevier.
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    4. John Ham & Lara Dawn Shore-Sheppard, 2000. "The Effect of Medicaid Expansions for Low-Income Children on Medicaid Participation and Insurance Coverage: Evidence from the SIPP," JCPR Working Papers 164, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    5. Lara D. Shore-Sheppard, 2000. "The Effect of Expanding Medicaid Eligibility on the Distribution of Children's Health Insurance Coverage," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 54(1), pages 59-77, October.
    6. David Card & Lara Dawn Shore-Sheppard, 2001. "Using Discontinuous Eligibility Rules to Identify the Effects of the Federal Medicaid Expansions," JCPR Working Papers 248, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    7. Robert A. Moffitt, 2003. "Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number moff03-1.
    8. David M. Cutler & Jonathan Gruber, 1996. "Does Public Insurance Crowd out Private Insurance?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 111(2), pages 391-430.
    9. Blumberg, Linda J. & Dubay, Lisa & Norton, Stephen A., 2000. "Did the Medicaid expansions for children displace private insurance? An analysis using the SIPP," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 33-60, January.
    10. Lara Shore-Sheppard, 1996. "The Effects of Expanding Medicaid Eligibility on the Distribution of Children's Health Insurance Coverage," Working Papers 748, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
    11. Esel Y. Yazici & Robert Kaestner, 1998. "Medicaid Expansions and The Crowding Out of Private Health Insurance," NBER Working Papers 6527, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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