Effects of Child Health on Sources of Public Support.
December 2004
Nancy E. Reichman, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Hope Corman, Rider University and National Bureau of Economic Research. Kelly Noonan, Rider University and National Bureau of Economic Research.
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Abstract
We estimate the effects of having a child in poor health on the mother’s receipt of both cash assistance and in-kind public support in the form of food, health care, and shelter. We control for a rich set of covariates, include state fixed effects, and test for the potential endogeneity of child health. Mothers with children in poor health are 5 percentage points (20%) more likely to rely on TANF and 16 percentage points more likely to rely on cash assistance (TANF and/or SSI) than those with healthy children. They are also more likely than those with healthy children to receive Medicaid and housing assistance, but not WIC or food stamps.
Keywords:
Child Well-being and Child Development, Health, Health Insurance, and Health Care