The effect of Medicaid abortion funding restrictions on abortions, pregnancies and births

J Health Econ. 1996 Oct;15(5):555-78. doi: 10.1016/s0167-6296(96)00495-x.

Abstract

This paper considers whether state Medicaid abortion funding restrictions affect the likelihood of getting pregnant, having an abortion and bearing a child. We exploit a natural experiment afforded by Supreme Court decisions and employ more traditional multivariate models with alternative fixed effect specifications. An analysis of 12 years of state-level data indicate that restrictions are associated with a reduction in abortions and either no change or a reduction in births, implying fewer pregnancies. Subsequent analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) is consistent with these findings and show the response is concentrated among the low-income population.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Legal / economics
  • Abortion, Legal / statistics & numerical data*
  • Adolescent
  • Birth Rate*
  • Catchment Area, Health / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Health Care Surveys / methods
  • Humans
  • Medicaid / economics
  • Medicaid / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Medicaid / statistics & numerical data
  • Models, Econometric
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Poverty
  • Pregnancy / statistics & numerical data*
  • Pregnancy in Adolescence / statistics & numerical data
  • United States / epidemiology