Premium
Spillover Effects of the Affordable Care Act? Exploring the Impact on Young Adult Dental Insurance Coverage
Author(s) -
Shane Dan M.,
Ayyagari Padmaja
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
health services research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.706
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1475-6773
pISSN - 0017-9124
DOI - 10.1111/1475-6773.12266
Subject(s) - spillover effect , mandate , medical expenditure panel survey , health insurance , patient protection and affordable care act , medicaid , poverty , panel data , young adult , demographic economics , demography , business , health care , environmental health , medicine , gerontology , economics , economic growth , political science , sociology , law , econometrics , microeconomics
Objectives To assess whether the Affordable Care Act's ( ACA ) dependent coverage health insurance mandate had a spillover impact on young adult dental insurance coverage and whether any observed effects varied by household income. Data Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys from 2006 through 2011. Study Design We employed a difference‐in‐difference regression approach comparing changes in insurance rates for young adults ages 19–25 years to changes in insurance rates for adults ages 27–30 years. Separate regressions were estimated by categories of household income as a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level ( FPL ) to understand whether the mandate had heterogeneous spillover effects. Results Private dental insurance increased by 6.7 percentage points among young adults compared to a control group of 27–30‐year olds. Increases were concentrated at middle‐income levels (125–400 percent FPL ). Conclusions The dependent coverage mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act has not only increased health insurance rates among young adults but also dental insurance coverage rates.