Studies from California State University Add New Findings in the Area of Health Insurance (The Health Insurance and Life Satisfaction Connection)

Managed Care Weekly Digest

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Managed Care Weekly Digest -- Investigators publish new report on Health Insurance. According to news originating from Sacramento, California, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, "Prior studies indicate that perceived health is strongly associated with a sense of well-being. The effect of health insurance is much less clear: there has been little rigorous empirical research assessing whether health coverage has an independent impact on individual happiness."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from California State University, "This topic is especially important in the US where recently an estimated 18 % of the non-elderly were uninsured and extension of coverage through means such as the Affordable Care Act has been controversial. The present study addresses this question. Drawing from a large survey that collected comprehensive health and personal information about the US adult population, controlling for a wide variety of factors known to influence well-being, and addressing the possible endogeneity of having health insurance, we find that individuals without health insurance coverage were less likely to be 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with life. This may be because health insurance reduces uncertainty."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "Regardless of other benefits it may bring, the expansion of health insurance coverage should increase the life satisfaction of American society."

For more information on this research see: The Health Insurance and Life Satisfaction Connection. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2017;18(2):409-426. Journal of Happiness Studies can be contacted at: Springer, Van Godewijckstraat 30, 3311 Gz Dordrecht, Netherlands. (Springer - www.springer.com; Journal of Happiness Studies - www.springerlink.com/content/1389-4978/)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from N.L.T. Tran, California State University, Dept. of Public Policy & Adm, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States. Additional authors for this research include R.W. Wassmer and E.L. Lascher (see also Health Insurance).

Keywords for this news article include: Sacramento, California, United States, North and Central America, Health Insurance, California State University.