Publications

Medicaid work requirements, labor market effects and welfare

Published in Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control Volume 178, 2025

We develop an overlapping generations model with labor supply, health risk, and health insurance choice to evaluate the effects of imposing work requirements for Medicaid eligibility. The model is calibrated to U.S. data and used to simulate counterfactual policies that condition Medicaid access on minimum weekly work hours, with exemptions for the sick and disabled.

Recommended citation: Jung, J., & Shrestha, V. (2025). Medicaid Work Requirements, Labor Market Effects and Welfare. Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, 105147.
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Historical Racial Oppression and Healthcare Access: Unveiling Disparities Post-ACA in the American South

Published in Health Economics, forthcoming, 2025

This study investigates geographical disparities in the implementation and effectiveness of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by linking them to the historical legacy of racial oppression in the American South. Using a cross-border regression discontinuity design that leverages variations in racial oppression intensity, we find that bordering counties in states with less oppressive regime experienced significantly greater benefits from the ACA compared to neighboring counties in more oppressive states.

Recommended citation: Shrestha, V. (2024). Historical Racial Oppression and Healthcare Access: Unveiling Disparities Post-ACA in the American South (No. 2024-09)
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Revisiting the effects of cigarette taxation on smoking outcomes

Published in Empirical Economics, 2024

This study reassesses the efficacy of cigarette taxation in curtailing smoking by leveraging recent advancements in the difference-in-differences (DiD) literature to account for heterogeneous treatment effects.

Recommended citation: Shrestha, V. Revisiting the effects of cigarette taxation on smoking outcomes. Empirical Economics (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-024-02674-0.
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The Combined Role of Subsidy and Discussion Intervention in the Demand for a Stigmatized Product (with Rashesh Shrestha)

Published in The World Bank Economic Review, 2023

This project examines the effectiveness of subsidization and group discussion interventions in increasing the demand for sanitary pads in Nepal. The study uses a field experiment where discount coupons of varying values were randomly assigned to participants, creating exogenous price variations. Additionally, some women participated in group discussions on menstrual health. The results showed that higher subsidies increased adoption rates, especially among women involved in the discussions, highlighting that combining financial incentives with social interventions can effectively mitigate the impact of societal stigma on health-related product adoption

Recommended citation: Shrestha, V., & Shrestha, R. (2023). The Combined Role of Subsidy and Discussion Intervention in the Demand for a Stigmatized Product. The World Bank Economic Review, 37(4), 675-705.
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Coronavirus Infections and Deaths by Poverty Status: The Effects of Social Distancing

Published in Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2021

This study analyzes the correlation between coronavirus infection and death rates and poverty status, highlighting how social distancing measures disproportionately affect lower-income communities. It emphasizes the need for targeted public health interventions to address these disparities.

Recommended citation: Jung, J., Manley, J., & Shrestha, V. (2021). Coronavirus infections and deaths by poverty status: the effects of social distancing. Journal of economic behavior & organization, 182, 311-330.
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Multigenerational Effect of Education Reform: Mother’s Education and Children’s Human Capital in Nepal (with Rashesh Shrestha)

Published in The World Bank Economic Review, 2020

This study examines the multigenerational impacts of education reform in Nepal, focusing on how increased maternal education enhances children’s human capital. The findings highlight the significant causal effects of mother’s education on the educational and health outcomes of their children.

Recommended citation: Shrestha, V., & Shrestha, R. (2020). Multigenerational effects of education reform: mother’s education and children’s human capital in Nepal. The World Bank Economic Review, 34(3), 698-729.
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Can Basic Maternal Literacy Skills Improve Infant Health Outcomes? Evidence from the Education Act in Nepal

Published in Journal of Human Capital, 2019

This study investigates the impact of basic maternal literacy on infant health outcomes, utilizing evidence from National Educational System Plan in Nepal. It finds that improving maternal literacy significantly enhances infant health, demonstrating the critical role of maternal education in child health development.

Recommended citation: Shrestha, V. (2019). Can basic maternal literacy skills improve infant health outcomes? Evidence from the education act in Nepal. Journal of Human Capital, 13(3), 434-478.
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The Affordable Care Act and College Enrollment Decisions (with Juergen Jung)

Published in Economic Inquiry, 2018

This paper explores the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on college enrollment decisions, finding that the ACA’s dependent coverage mandate significantly increases college enrollment rates. The results suggest that improved access to health insurance under the ACA encourages higher education participation.

Recommended citation: Jung, J., & Shrestha, V. (2018). The Affordable Care Act and college enrollment decisions. Economic Inquiry, 56(4), 1980-2009.
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The Effect of Health Insurance Mandate on Labor Market Activity and Time Allocation: Evidence from the Federal Dependent Coverage Provision (with Otto Lenhart)

Published in Forum for Health Economics & Policy, 2017

This study examines the impact of the Federal Dependent Coverage Provision on labor market activity and time allocation, finding that the health insurance mandate leads to changes in employment patterns and how individuals allocate their time. The results suggest that improved access to health insurance affects both work behavior and personal time management.

Recommended citation: Lenhart, O., & Shrestha, V. (2017, June). The effect of the health insurance mandate on labor market activity and time allocation: Evidence from the federal dependent coverage provision. In Forum for Health Economics and Policy (Vol. 20, No. 1, p. 20160006), De Gruyter.
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Schooling Infrastructure and Educational Outcomes in Nepal (with Animesh Giri)

Published in The Development Journal of the South, 2017

We estimate the impact of increases in schools constructed from 1985 to 1995 on girls educational outcomes in Nepal. Our results indicate that the construction of an additional school (per 1,000 square kilometers) increased the probability to read and write among females by 1.5 percentage points and increased their highest level of schooling attained by 0.12 units but did not affect basic literacy skills among males.

Recommended citation: Giri, Animesh and Vinish Shrestha. "The Effect of School Construction on Educational Outcomes among Females: Evidence from Nepal." Development Journal of the South 2, 1 (2017). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/djs/vol2/iss1/1
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Do Young Adults Substitute Alcohol for Cigarettes? Learning from the Master Settlement Agreement

Published in The Review of Economics of the Household, 2016

This study explores the relationship between cigarette and alcohol consumption among young adults, particularly in the context of the Master Settlement Agreement. The research indicates that public policies aimed at reducing smoking can have significant spillover effects on alcohol consumption. Specifically, it examines whether these individuals turn to alcohol as a substitute when cigarette prices increase or smoking restrictions are implemented.

Recommended citation: Shrestha, V. (2018). Do young adults substitute cigarettes for alcohol? Learning from the master settlement agreement. Review of Economics of the Household, 16, 297-321.
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The Pass Through of Beer Taxes to Prices: Evidence from State-Level and Federal Tax Changes (with Sara Markowitz)

Published in Economic Inquiry, 2016

The study examines how beer taxes affect retail beer prices. The findings show that a 10-cent increase in state beer taxes raises retail prices by about 17 cents, while a similar increase in federal beer taxes results in a 19-22 cent rise in retail prices. This indicates that consumers fully bear the burden of increased beer taxes.

Recommended citation: Shrestha, V., & Markowitz, S. (2016). The pass‐through of beer taxes to prices: evidence from state and federal tax changes. Economic Inquiry, 54(4), 1946-1962.
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Estimating the Price Elasticity of Demand for Different Levels of Alcohol Consumption Among Young Adults

Published in American Journal of Health Economics, 2015

The study investigates how different levels of alcohol consumers respond to price changes. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97), the study applies various econometric methods and finds that heavy drinkers are more responsive to price increases compared to light and moderate drinkers. This suggests that higher alcohol taxes could effectively reduce alcohol consumption among heavy drinkers, potentially lowering alcohol-related externalities among young adults.

Recommended citation: Shrestha, V. (2015). Estimating the price elasticity of demand for different levels of alcohol consumption among young adults. American Journal of Health Economics, 1(2), 224-254.
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