Family coverage expansions: impact on insurance coverage and health care utilization of parents

Abstract

With the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), Medicaid eligibility ceased to be tied to receipt of cash assistance. Since then, states have had a growing number of opportunities to expand health coverage to low-income working families beyond previous AFDC limits. As of 2001, 20 states have raised income eligibility limits for parents to or beyond 100% of the Federal Poverty Level. First, we use the Current Population Survey to study the effect of states' expansions on the insurance rates of adults and to estimate the crowd-out of private insurance. We find that eligible adults living in a state that expanded coverage are more likely to be insured. We find a take-up rate of 14.8%. Our results suggest that 24% of this increase is due to a reduction in private coverage. Next, we use the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to examine changes in health care utilization. We find that these expansions increased cancer-screening rates. Of previously uninsured mothers not receiving cancer screening, 29% now receive these screens. Finally, our results indicate the expansions decreased the likelihood that a parent needed to see a doctor but did not because of cost.