Date of Completion

6-4-2020

Embargo Period

6-2-2025

Keywords

Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance, Public Economics, Labor Supply, Migration, Disability, Federal Disability Insurance

Major Advisor

Kenneth Couch

Associate Advisor

David Simon

Associate Advisor

Richard Dunn

Associate Advisor

Dennis Heffley

Field of Study

Economics

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Open Access

Open Access

Abstract

This dissertation examines the economic impacts of the Affordable Care Act. The first chapter measures the effect of the ACA's government transfers on labor force participation of the near elderly. Findings show there are disincentives to labor supply associated with both the Medicaid Expansions and Premium Subsidies. This study also finds evidence that subsidized plans led to crowding out of private consumption of employer sponsored insurance. The second chapter examines the cross program interaction of the ACA and the federal disability insurance programs. These disability insurance programs couple income replacement with public health insurance, whereas the ACA offers an alternative avenue to obtain public health insurance independent of undergoing a disability determination process. This study does not find statistical evidence that ACA impacted participation in either federal disability insurance program. The third chapter measures the effect of the ACA's Medicaid expansions on benefit-seeking interstate migration of potentially eligible individuals. The analysis does not find statistical evidence supporting the hypothesis that states participating in the ACA Medicaid expansion acted as welfare magnets to low-income people.

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Available for download on Monday, June 02, 2025

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