Abstract

ABSTRACT:

Measurements of the impact of public health insurance have typically focused on the health and insurance outcomes of the newly eligible child. In this paper, I investigate the consequences of public health insurance for the other members of the household. Using a regression discontinuity design, I find that a child’s public health insurance eligibility crowds out the private health insurance of parents by 11 percentage points when it is not accompanied by parental eligibility. This loss of insurance corresponds to changes in self-reported health and preventive care for women.

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