Journal of policy analysis and management : [the journal of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management]
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J Policy Anal Manage · Jan 2014
Does universal coverage improve health? The Massachusetts experience.
In 2006, Massachusetts passed health care reform legislation designed to achieve nearly universal coverage through a combination of insurance market reforms, mandates, and subsidies that later served as the model for national reform. Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we provide evidence that health care reform in Massachusetts led to better overall self-assessed health. ⋯ Next, we show that the effects on overall health were strongest among those with low incomes, nonwhites, near-elderly adults, and women. Finally, we use the reform to instrument for health insurance and estimate a sizeable impact of coverage on health.