Thread by @OppforHealthLab

1/ What happens when you make public benefits easier (and less stigmatizing to use)?

New research led by lab affiliate @AditiVasan in @JAMAPediatrics shows that moving from paper vouchers to elec. benefit cards ⬆️ #WIC uptake among low-income women+kids.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jamap…

2/ The study uses a natural experiment - variation in state adoption of WIC electronic benefit cards - to estimate the causal effects of this policy change.

Here's the punchline - a 7.8% increase in program participation 3 years after the EBT transition:

3/ Whether increased program participation led to improvements in food security depends on many factors. In one state, for example, vendors in low-income areas exited the WIC program after the EBT transition: aeaweb.org/articles?id=10…

4/ Policy evaluations like these can clarify the steps needed to ensure that public policies are effective in reaching those in need.

The fantastic editorial by Seligman + @DrRitaHamad gets into this further:

jamanetwork.com/journals/jamap…

5/ In sum, these findings provide further support of @pamela_herd+@donmoyn's hypothesis that administrative burdens critically shape access to public programs and, ultimately, health:

healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb…