Social science & medicine
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Social science & medicine · Apr 2018
The effect of health insurance on sexual health: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act's dependent coverage mandate.
This study estimates changes in sexually transmitted disease rates for young adults in the United States following the Affordable Care Act's dependent coverage mandate; a provision that allows dependents to remain covered under their parents' health insurance plans until the age of 26. This study is the first to analyze changes in reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates resulting from the dependent coverage mandate. ⋯ I also find evidence of an increase in gonorrhea rates for females in this age group. I find no evidence that the mandate induced ex ante moral hazard.