Working Paper: NBER ID: w11980
Authors: Brigitte C. Madrian
Abstract: This paper provides a broad and general overview of the relationship between the U.S. health care system and the labor market. The paper first describes some of the salient features of and facts about the system of health insurance coverage in the U.S., particularly the role of employers. It then summarizes the empirical evidence on how health insurance impacts labor market outcomes such as wages, labor supply (including retirement, female labor supply, part-time vs. full-time work, and formal vs. informal sector work), labor demand (including hours worked and the composition of employment across full-time, part-time and temporary workers), and job turnover. It then discusses the implications of having a fragmented system of health insurance delivery--in which employers play a central role--on the health care system and health care outcomes.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: I10; J3; J6
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| health insurance availability (G52) | retirement decisions (J26) |
| access to retiree health insurance (I13) | probability of retiring before age 65 (J26) |
| age (J14) | retirement probability (J26) |
| portable health insurance (I13) | earlier retirement (J26) |
| COBRA laws (J32) | likelihood of retiring (J26) |
| health insurance through a spouse (G52) | labor force participation of married women (D13) |
| employer-provided health insurance (I13) | job turnover (J63) |
| health insurance availability (G52) | job mobility (J62) |