title: "Aging Out" of Dependent Coverage and the Effects on US Labor Market and Health Insurance Choices.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  I examined how labor market and health insurance outcomes were affected by the loss of dependent coverage eligibility under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).
  
  
  METHODS
  I used National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data and regression discontinuity models to measure the percentage-point change in labor market and health insurance outcomes at age 26 years. My sample was restricted to unmarried individuals aged 24 to 28 years and to a period of time before the ACA's individual mandate (2011-2013). I ran models separately for men and women to determine if there were differences based on gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aging out of this provision increased employment among men, employer-sponsored health insurance offers for women, and reports that health insurance coverage was worse than it was 1 year previously (overall and for young women). Uninsured rates did not increase at age 26 years, but there was an increase in the purchase of non-group health coverage, indicating interest in remaining insured after age 26 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many young adults will turn to state and federal health insurance marketplaces for information about health coverage. Because young adults (aged 18-29 years) regularly use social media sites, these sites could be used to advertise insurance to individuals reaching their 26th birthdays.
authors.affiliation: At the time of the study, Heather M. Dahlen was a PhD candidate with the Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
authors.forename: Heather M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Dahlen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D062265:Health Insurance Exchanges / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors