The Effect of Medicare Eligibility on Spousal Insurance Coverage

Health Economics
Marcus Dillender, Karen Mulligan

Abstract

A majority of married couples in the USA take advantage of the fact that employers often provide health insurance coverage to spouses. When older spouses become eligible for Medicare, however, many of them can no longer provide their younger spouses with coverage. In this paper, we study how spousal eligibility for Medicare affects the health insurance and health care access of younger spouses. We find that spousal eligibility for Medicare results in younger spouses no longer having employers pay for their insurance and being less likely to have employer-sponsored coverage. Instead, younger spouses switch to privately purchased coverage, which tends to be worse than what they had before their spouses became eligible for Medicare. We also find suggestive evidence that younger spouses are less likely to use health care services after their older spouses become eligible for Medicare.

References

Feb 25, 1998·Medical Care·F A Sloan, C J Conover
Jul 21, 2001·Health Affairs·E SimantovS Bruegman
Jan 31, 2002·Health Affairs·M A Morrisey, G A Jensen
Aug 14, 2003·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·J Michael McWilliamsJohn Z Ayanian
May 1, 2004·American Journal of Public Health·Ira B Lamster
Dec 8, 2004·Health Affairs·Melinda Beeuwkes BuntinJill M Yeglan
Jun 13, 2006·Women's Health Issues : Official Publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health·Xiao XuScott B Ransom
Jul 13, 2007·The New England Journal of Medicine·J Michael McWilliamsJohn Z Ayanian
May 8, 2008·Health Affairs·Mark V Pauly, Robert D Lieberthal
Sep 26, 2008·Medical Care·Shana Alex LavarredaY Jenny Chia
Dec 17, 2008·The American Economic Review·David CardNicole Maestas
Aug 14, 2009·Health Services Research·Daniel PolskyJeannette Rogowski
Nov 19, 2009·The Quarterly Journal of Economics·David CardNicole Maestas
Dec 5, 2009·Health Affairs·Roland McDevittTina Brust
Apr 15, 2010·Journal of Aging & Social Policy·Elise Gould, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez
Jun 18, 2011·American Journal of Public Health·Neal T WallaceBill J Wright
Aug 2, 2011·Health Economics·Guy DavidMark D Neuman
Sep 29, 2011·Findings Brief : Health Care Financing & Organization·Sarah Katz
Jan 26, 2013·Health Economics·Chad D MeyerhoeferRichard Manski
Dec 7, 2014·Journal of Health Economics·Maria D Fitzpatrick

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Aug 20, 2016·The Lancet Global Health·Guido Bendezú-QuispeAlvaro Taype-Rondan

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.