Health Insurance Availability and EntrepreneurshipUpjohn Institute Working Paper 10-167Philip DeCiccaMcMaster University April 2010 JEL Classification Codes: I18; J32; J62 AbstractDespite a strong interest in entrepreneurship, economists have devoted little attention to the role of health insurance availability. I investigate the impact of a unique policy experimentNew Jersey’s Individual Health Coverage Planon self-employment. Implemented in August 1993, the IHCP included an extensive set of reforms that loosened the historical connection between traditional employment and health insurance by facilitating access to coverage that was not employer-linked. I find evidence that the IHCP increased self-employment among New Jersey residents, relative to various sets of comparison states. Consistent with key policy features, including pure community rating of premiums, I find larger behavioral responses for unmarried, older, and observably less-healthy individuals. Full text | Institute Home Page | Back to Staff Working Papers |