Income Responses to the Affordable Care Act: Evidence from a Premium Tax Credit Notch

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Health Economics
Year: 2021
Volume: 76
Issue: C

Authors (5)

Heim, Bradley T. (Indiana University) Hunter, Gillian (not in RePEc) Isen, Adam (not in RePEc) Lurie, Ithai Z. (not in RePEc) Ramnath, Shanthi P. (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.402 = (α=2.01 / 5 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We examine responses to the ACA subsidy for Marketplace health insurance in the first year of subsidy availability. Drawing on federal tax data and focusing on a notch in the schedule where eligibility is lost, we document that taxpayers lowered their income to remain eligible for the subsidy. The observed bunching is modest relative to the size of the notch, which, consistent with larger responses we detect in additional analyses among certain subgroups, is likely explained by significant optimization frictions. Finally, we find suggestive evidence that increased deductions drive some of the response, while reduced labor supply also plays a role.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jhecon:v:76:y:2021:i:c:s0167629620310420
Journal Field
Health
Author Count
5
Added to Database
2026-02-02