The impact of health insurance on stockholding: A regression discontinuity approach

Arbeitspapier

Using data from the US Health and Retirement Study, we study the causal effect of increased health insurance coverage through Medicare and the associated reduction in health-related background risk on financial risk-taking. Given the onset of Medicare at age 65, we identify our effect of interest using a regression discontinuity approach. We find that getting Medicare coverage induces stockholding for those with at least some college education, but not for their less-educated counterparts. Hence, our results indicate that a reduction in background risk induces financial risk-taking in individuals for whom informational and pecuniary stock market participation costs are relatively low.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: CFS Working Paper Series ; No. 488

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Household Saving; Personal Finance ; Health Insurance, Public and Private ; Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
• Subject: Health Insurance ; Medicare ; Stockholding ; Regression Discontinuity ; Household Finance

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Christelis, Dimitris ; Georgarakos, Dimitris ; Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Goethe University Frankfurt, Center for Financial Studies (CFS)
• (where): Frankfurt a. M.
• (when): 2014

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/103740
• URN: urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-353661
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET