RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 In Sickness and in Health
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 637
OP 688
DO 10.3368/jhr.57.2.0118-9295R2
VO 57
IS 2
A1 Scott Barkowski
A1 Joanne Song McLaughlin
YR 2022
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/57/2/637.abstract
AB We study the interaction of state and federal dependent health insurance mandates on young adult marriages. Using a new data set on state-level mandates, we show marriage restrictions of these laws reduced marriage likelihoods by about two percentage points. When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted, its mandate ended marriage restrictions, encouraging marriage among those previously eligible for state mandates. However, among those ineligible for state mandates, it discouraged marrying to obtain insurance through spouses. The combination of these contrasting ACA effects eliminated the marriage gap. We also find these marriage effects resulted in corresponding impacts on out-of-wedlock births.