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What can the take-up of other programs teach us about how to improve take-up of health insurance programs?

Dahlia K. Remler, Jason E. Rachlin and Sherry A. Glied

No 8185, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Many uninsured Americans are already eligible for free or low-cost public coverage through Medicaid or CHIP but do not take up that coverage. Several other programs, such as food stamps and unemployment insurance, also have less than complete take-up rates and take-up rates vary considerably among programs. This paper examines the take-up literature across a variety of programs to learn what effects non-financial features, such as administrative complexity, have on take-up. We find that making benefit receipt automatic is the most effective means of ensuring high take-up, while there is little evidence that stigma is important. Overall, surprisingly little is known about the quantitative impact, of non-financial characteristics of programs on take-up. New research that could be used to draw measurable causal inferences about how features as administrative complexity, renewal rules, and organizational structure affect participation, would be extremely valuable.

JEL-codes: I1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001-03
Note: EH
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (35)

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