Effects of Federal Policy to Insure Young Adults: Evidence from the 2010 Affordable Care Act Dependent Coverage Mandate

Yaa Akosa Antwi, Asako S. Moriya, Kosali Simon

NBER Working Paper No. 18200
Issued in June 2012, Revised in October 2013
NBER Program(s):Children, Health Care, Health Economics

We study the health insurance and labor market implications of the recent Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision that allows dependents to remain on parental policies until age 26 using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Our comparison of outcomes for young adults aged 19-25 with those who are older and younger, before and after the law, shows a high take-up of parental coverage, resulting in substantial reductions in uninsurance and other forms of coverage. We also find preliminary evidence of increased labor market flexibility in the form of reduced work hours.

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Document Object Identifier (DOI): 10.3386/w18200

Published: Yaa Akosa Antwi & Asako S. Moriya & Kosali Simon, 2013. "Effects of Federal Policy to Insure Young Adults: Evidence from the 2010 Affordable Care Act's Dependent-Coverage Mandate," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 5(4), pages 1-28, November. citation courtesy of