Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/265928 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 9893
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
More than 18 percent of U.S. adults met the diagnostic criteria for a mental illness. Yet, many who could benefit from mental health care do not receive any treatment, mostly due to the inability to pay for care or lack of health insurance coverage. How does a sudden change in health insurance coverage status affect psychological well-being and mental health? We explore this question using age-based health insurance coverage policies in the United States as natural experiments. We provide evidence that losing health insurance coverage at age 26 due to aging out from dependent coverage is associated with a statistically significant deterioration in certain indicators of mental health among young adults. On the other hand, we find no evidence of an improvement in mental health or psychological well-being among the elderly at age 65 due to becoming eligible for Medicare. These results are robust to potential changes in risk-taking behavior and physical health at the same age cutoffs.
Subjects: 
Affordable Care Act
dependent coverage
health insurance
medicare
mental health
psychological well-being
JEL: 
I12
I13
I18
Document Type: 
Working Paper
Appears in Collections:

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.