Medicaid Benefit Generosity and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Medicaid Adult Vision Benefits

Boudreaux, Michel and Lipton, Brandy (2018): Medicaid Benefit Generosity and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Medicaid Adult Vision Benefits.

Abstract

Previous work suggests that Medicaid eligibility expansions may lead to declines in labor market activity. This paper explores the related, but novel question of whether variation in Medicaid benefit generosity alters employment outcomes. We consider adult vision benefits as a case study. Our findings suggest that vision benefits have a net positive effect on intensive margin measures including hours worked and occupational skill requirements, but no significant effect on the likelihood of being employed. These results indicate that Medicaid’s effect on labor market activity is sensitive to the set of covered services.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Health insurance, Medicaid, Employment, Vision care
• Subjects: H - Public Economics > H7 - State and Local Government ; Intergovernmental Relations > H75 - State and Local Government: Health ; Education ; Welfare ; Public Pensions; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I13 - Health Insurance, Public and Private; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I18 - Government Policy ; Regulation ; Public Health; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Demand and Supply of Labor > J22 - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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