The Affordable Care Act Dependent Mandate (ACA-DM) has
increased young adults’ health insurance coverage through parents’
employer-sponsored health insurance. This could have increased
employers’ labor costs and thus reduced parents’ wages. In this study,
we examine the effects of the ACA-DM on family income and medical
spending. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find evidence
that the ACA-DM decreased family income but did not increase young
adults’ medical spending. The results imply that expansion of health
insurance coverage does not necessarily increase medical spending if it
is achieved through labor markets and decreases family income.