Labor Market Effects of Public Health Insurance on Married Couples

描述（由申请人提供）：通过雇主或联邦政府获得医疗保险可能对接近医疗保险年龄的老年工人的劳动力市场决策产生深远影响。除了接受健康保险的工人退休决定的变化外，可能会对这些工人的配偶产生溢出效应，因为他们没有直接接受这种保险。增加配偶健康保险的经验溢出效应可能不同于配偶货币或健康冲击的影响。因此，对这种影响的测量将为共同劳动力参与和配偶退休决定的理论提供信息。当丈夫获得医疗保险时，妻子可能更有可能退休，因为公共保险对家庭来说是一个积极的收入冲击，或者因为他们从共同退休中获得额外的效用。然而，如果丈夫需要提供自己的健康保险或其劳动力参与达到家庭收入目标，则在丈夫领取公共健康保险时，妻子可能不太可能退休，或可能加入劳动力队伍。本研究探讨了保险扩大对老年工人和他们的妻子的影响，利用公共保险的扩大，提供覆盖范围只有一个成员的已婚夫妇。退伍军人事务部医疗保健系统的改革使人们能够检查公共保险引起的劳动力供应变化。我们将调查保险对劳动力参与的因果影响，通过比较退伍军人和非退伍军人及其妻子的工作决定之前和之后的政策变化的差异框架。我们将探讨这些反应如何因个人特征和获得雇主提供的医疗保险而有所不同。初步结果表明，随着丈夫获得公共医疗保险，他们的妻子的劳动力供应增加，特别是在教育程度较低的人群中。 公共卫生相关性：本研究探讨了医疗保险扩大对老年工人和他们的妻子的影响，利用公共保险改革，提供覆盖范围只有一个成员的已婚夫妇。美国退伍军人事务部医疗保健系统的改革使得能够检查公共保险引起的劳动力供应变化。我们将调查保险对劳动力参与的因果影响，通过比较退伍军人和非退伍军人及其妻子的工作决定之前和之后的政策变化的差异框架。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Receipt of health insurance either through an employer or through the federal government can have profound effects on labor market decisions by older workers approaching the age of Medicare entitlement. In addition to the changes in retirement decisions by workers receiving health insurance, there may be spillover effects on the spouses of these workers who do not directly receive this insurance. The empirical spillover effects of an increase in spousal health insurance may differ from the effects of spousal monetary or health shocks. Measurement of such effects will therefore inform theory on joint labor force participation and retirement decisions of spouses. Wives may be more likely to retire when their husbands receive health insurance because public insurance is a positive income shock to the family or because they get additional utility from joint retirement. However, wives may be less likely to retire, or may enter the labor force, when their husbands receive public health insurance if they need to provide their own health insurance or their labor force participation meets a target family income. This study examines the impact of an insurance expansion on older workers and their wives, utilizing a public insurance expansion that afforded coverage to only one member of a married couple. A reform in the Veterans Affairs health care system enables examination of public insurance-induced changes in labor supply. We will investigate the causal effects of insurance on labor force participation by comparing work decisions of veterans and non-veterans and their wives before and after the policy change in a difference-in-differences framework. We will explore how these reactions vary by individual characteristics and access to employer-provided health insurance. Preliminary results suggest that as husbands obtain access to publicly-provided health insurance, their wives' labor supply rises, particularly among the less-educated. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This study examines the impact of a health insurance expansion on older workers and their wives, utilizing a public insurance reform that afforded coverage to only one member of a married couple. A reform in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care system enables examination of public insurance-induced changes in labor supply. We will investigate the causal effects of insurance on labor force participation by comparing work decisions of veterans and non-veterans and their wives before and after the policy change in a difference-in-differences framework.