Pres appam nov9_gonzales

The Impact of Same-Sex Marriage on

Health Insurance Coverage: Evidence from Four States

Gilbert Gonzales, MHA

University of Minnesota

Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Policy Research on Same-Sex Marriage

Saturday, November 9, 2013

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Background

Same-sex couples are less likely to have health

insurance, especially through employers

NHIS (Heck et al. 2006)

CPS (Ash & Badget, 2006)

BRFSS (Buchmueller & Carpenter, 2010)

ACS (Gonzales & Blewett, 2014)

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3

Most Americans are covered through a

family member’s employer health plan

“Legal” spouse

Dependent children



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Employers often required to extend benefits to

same-sex spouses after same-sex marriage

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Source: National Conference of State Legislatures



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Research Question

What is the effect of same-sex marriage on

health insurance coverage among same-sex

couples?

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American Community Survey, 2008-2011

Health insurance added in 2008

• Employer-Sponsored Insurance (ESI)

• Directly Purchased / Individual

• Medicare

• Medicaid

• Uninsured

Large sample size!

• 3 million people each year

• Supports state level research

• Leading data resource for same-sex couples

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Difference-in-Differences (DD) Analysis

Pre-Post research design

• Target group: Same-sex couples in 4 states (CT, IA, NH, VT)

• Comparison groups unaffected by policy change

1) married opposite-sex couples in same state

2) same-sex couples in neighboring states

Linear probability models controlling for:

• Race/ethnicity, age, income, educational attainment,

employment status, industry, related child in household,

citizenship, state fixed effects

Separate models for:

• State with no provisions adopting marriage (IA)

• States replacing civil unions/domestic partnerships with

marriage (CT, NH, VT)

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Difference-in-Differences (DD) Analysis

Yi = β0 + β1Treat + β2Post + β3Treat*Post + Xi + ε

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From No Provisions to Same-Sex Marriage

8.2% 9.3%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

Men Women

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Dif

fere

nc

e-i

n-D

iffe

ren

ces (

DD

)

Comparison Group 1:

Married Opposite-Sex Couples in Iowa

Adjusts for race/ethnicity, age, employment, industry, income, state, citizenship, minor child.

Source: American Community Survey, 2008-2011. * indicates p<0.05

+ +



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8.2% 9.3%

7.7%

9.6%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

Men Women Men Women

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Dif

fere

nc

e-i

n-D

iffe

ren

ces (

DD

)

Comparison Group 1:

Married Opposite-Sex Couples in Iowa

Comparison Group 2:

Same-Sex Couples Neighboring Iowa



+ +

+

+

From No Provisions to Same-Sex Marriage



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From Civil Unions to Same-Sex Marriage

0.1%

7.6%

-2.0%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

Gay Men Lesbian Women

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Dif

fere

nc

e-i

n-D

iffe

ren

ces (

DD

)

Comparison Group 1:

Married Opposite-Sex Couples in

CT, NH, VT



* +



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From Civil Unions to Same-Sex Marriage

0.1%

7.6%

-1.4%

7.5%

-2.0%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

Men Women Women

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Dif

fere

nc

e-i

n-D

iffe

ren

ces (

DD

)

Comparison Group 1:

Married Opposite-Sex Couples in

CT, NH, VT

Comparison Group 2:

Same-Sex Couples Neighboring

CT, NH, VT



* *

Men

+ +



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Key Findings

1) Same-sex marriage leads to ~7.5% increase in health

insurance coverage for women in same-sex

relationships

2) Limited evidence that same-sex marriage improved

health insurance coverage in Iowa or for men

3) Detectable gains in coverage by replacing civil union

laws with legal same-sex marriage

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www.shadac.org

@shadac

PhD Student

Graduate Research Assistant

[email protected]

University of Minnesota

School of Public Health

Division of Health Policy & Management

Gilbert Gonzales, MHA

mailto:[email protected]



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Discussion

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GLB Population in the ACS

• Same-sex spouses / unmarried partners

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