Research Data from University of Iowa Update Understanding of Health and Society (The Impact of Household Health Insurance Coverage Gains On Children’s Achievement In Iowa: Evidence From the Aca): Health and Medicine – Health and Society

2022 FEB 22 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Current study results on Health and Medicine - Health and Society have been published. According to news reporting originating from Iowa City, Iowa, by NewsRx editors, the research stated, “Low family income is associated with worse child academic achievement. Little is known about how health insurance expansions affect children’s achievement in low-income households.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the University of Iowa, “This study examined the effects of the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansions primarily for Medicaid and Marketplace enrollment, beginning in 2014, on children’s academic achievement in Iowa. The study employed a unique linkage of birth certificates and data on standardized school tests for children in Iowa and took advantage of differences in uninsurance rates across areas in the state before the ACA insurance expansions. There is evidence that the ACA expansions beginning in 2014 were associated with higher reading scores after three years for children born to mothers with a high school education or less. There is no consistent evidence of an effect on math scores.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Overall, these findings suggest broad spillover benefits from health insurance expansions to the well-being and development of children in low-income households that should be part of the continuing policy debate surrounding state and national health insurance reforms.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: The Impact of Household Health Insurance Coverage Gains On Children’s Achievement In Iowa: Evidence From the Aca. Health Affairs, 2022;41(1):35-43. Health Affairs can be contacted at: Project Hope, 7500 Old Georgetown Rd, Ste 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-6133, USA.

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting George L. Wehby, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01222. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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