Effects of ACA Medicaid Expansions on Health Insurance Coverage and Labor Supply

Add to Calendar
Event Type: 
Seminar Series
Date and Time: 
Monday, October 3, 2016
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Speaker: 
Robert Kaestner
University of Illinois at Chicago
Abstract: 

We examined the effect of the expansion of Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act on health insurance coverage and labor supply of low-educated and low-income adults. We found that the Medicaid expansions were associated with large (e.g., 50 percent) increases in Medicaid coverage and corresponding decreases in the proportion uninsured. There was relatively little change in private insurance coverage, although the expansions tended to decrease such coverage slightly. In terms of labor supply, estimates indicated that the Medicaid expansions had little effect on work effort despite the substantial changes in health insurance coverage. Most estimates suggested that the expansions increased work effort, although not significantly.