Abstract
We estimate the impacts of losing access to parental health insurance on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) participation, focusing on the age‐26 limit for dependent coverage. We analyze the age pattern of SSI claims to develop counterfactual predictions that assume no change in access to insurance. Relative to this prediction, we find a 3.4% spike in SSI applications in the months immediately surrounding the 26th birthday, along with a slightly smaller increase in awards. These claims are primarily motivated by losing coverage; there might be more direct ways to address unmet insurance needs without also increasing reliance on cash payments.
Read the full post on Wiley: Health Economics: Table of Contents
