The Impact Of Medicaid On Labor Force Activity And Program Participation: Evidence From The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment

In October 2013, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) released a working paper on the impact of Medicaid expansion in Oregon in 2008. The expansion included a group of uninsured low-income adults selected by lottery for the chance to apply for Medicaid. The NBER used this randomized design and 2009 administrative data to evaluate the effect of Medicaid on labor market outcomes and participation in other social safety net programs. NBER found: 1) no significant effect of Medicaid on employment or earnings; and 2) an increase in receipt of food stamps, but little, if any, impact on receipt . . .