The effect of welfare reform on prenatal care and birth weight

Health Economics
Robert Kaestner, Won Chan Lee

Abstract

Welfare reform has resulted in a dramatic decline in welfare caseloads and some have claimed that a significant number of low-income women may be without health insurance as a result. The loss of insurance may reduce low-income, pregnant women's health care utilization, and this may adversely affect infant health. Welfare reform also may affect healthcare utilization and health of pregnant women and infants because of welfare-induced changes in family disposable income, time available for health investments, and levels of stress. In this paper we examine the effect of welfare reform on prenatal care utilization and birth weight of low-educated women and their infants. We find that a 50% reduction in the caseload, which is similar to that which occurred in the 1990s, is associated with a zero to seven percent decrease in first trimester prenatal care; a zero to five percent decrease in the number of prenatal care visits; and a zero to 10% increase in low birth weight. Since welfare reform was responsible for only part of the decline in the caseload, welfare reform per se had even smaller effects.

References

Jan 25, 2000·Health Affairs·B Garrett, J Holahan
Apr 10, 2002·Journal of Health Economics·Janet Currie, Jeffrey Grogger
Nov 8, 2003·Journal of Health Economics·Robert Kaestner, Neeraj Kaushal

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Citations

Dec 1, 2006·Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health·Neeraj Kaushal, Robert Kaestner
Oct 25, 2008·Journal of Health Economics·Jonathan Leonard, Alexandre Mas
Jun 29, 2006·Journal of Policy Analysis and Management : [the Journal of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management]·Pobert Kaestner, Elizabeth Tarlov
Jan 1, 2013·Economic Inquiry·Hope CormanDhiman Das
Sep 25, 2015·Journal of Economic Literature·Dora Costa
Aug 3, 2013·Social Science & Medicine·Luis Ayala, Magdalena Rodríguez
Jan 6, 2006·Obstetrics and Gynecology·Elena Fuentes-AfflickHoward Minkoff
Apr 6, 2017·Journal of Policy Analysis and Management : [the Journal of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management]·Chris M Herbst

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