There is growing concern that one of the unintended consequences of welfare reform is thousands of families with children are losing their health insurance. Many states have examined how their procedures (i.e., how clients are disenrolled from welfare and informed of their eligibility for Medicaid) may be influencing welfare leavers enrollment in government-sponsored health coverage programs. However, relatively little attention has been paid to whether welfare leavers' individual characteristics and feelings about health insurance influence their choice to seek out and obtain health coverage. This research tests a model of welfare leavers=demand for health insurance that incorporates individual characteristics that determine whether families obtain coverage after leaving welfare.
The study uses data from the third wave of the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) Study, a five-year longitudinal study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The goal of the study is to examine outcomes related to welfare use, employment, and poverty. The questionnaire included special sections devoted to health care utilization and health care coverage. Bivariate and logit regression analyses were conducted (N=782).
Preliminary findings suggest that both MFIP program procedures (e.g., informing clients of their eligibility for Medicaid and MinnesotaCare) as well as individual characteristics of welfare clients (e.g., being a long-term welfare recipient or having a disability) influence whether they obtain coverage after leaving welfare. Uninsured clients do value health coverage. Most report wanting coverage and feeling that their families need coverage. Employment greatly influences the amount of money clients feel they can afford to spend on coverage.
Learning Objectives: 1) Describe what distinguishes welfare leavers who obtain health insurance from those who do not. 2) Discuss how welfare program procedures as well as individual characteristics contribute to welfare leavers' insurance status. 3) Apply new knowledge to develop programs that improve welfare leavers' access to health insurance.
Keywords: Welfare Reform, Health Insurance
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.