Replication data for: The Effects of State Medicaid Expansions for Working-Age Adults on Senior Medicare Beneficiaries

Do Medicaid expansions to working-age adults affect healthcare spending and utilization among older Medicare beneficiaries? Although economic theory provides conflicting predictions about the presence and direction of such spillover effects, it does identify circumstances when spillovers can reduce Medicare spending. Using data on Medicaid expansions during the 2000s and microdata from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, we find that a 1 percentage point rise in the share of working-age adults eligible for Medicaid has modest effects on the average Medicare beneficiary's spending, but reduces average spending by $477 among dual eligibles. Importantly, we find no evidence of adverse health effects.

面向适龄劳动群体的医疗补助（Medicaid）扩张政策，是否会对老年医疗保险（Medicare）受益人的医疗支出与医疗服务利用情况产生影响？尽管经济理论针对这类溢出效应的存在性与作用方向给出了相互矛盾的预测，但也明确了溢出效应能够降低老年医疗保险支出的若干情形。本研究采用2000年代医疗补助扩张的相关数据，以及来自医疗保险当前受益人调查（Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey）的微观数据开展实证分析，结果显示：适龄劳动群体中具备医疗补助资格的人口占比每提升1个百分点，对普通老年医疗保险受益人的平均医疗支出仅产生小幅影响，但可使同时具备双重受益资格的群体的平均支出降低477美元。尤为关键的是，本研究未发现任何不良健康影响的相关证据。