Our comprehensive review and meta- analysis of these experiments find suggestive evidence of health benefits associated with investments in early life , income support , and health insurance interventions .
Housing and neighborhood trials had no effect on the outcomes included in the meta-analyses .
A positive effect of the trial on its primary socioeconomic outcome was associated with higher odds of reporting health improvements .
Early life , income , and health insurance interventions have the potential to improve health .
Policy Points Social policies might not only improve economic well-being , but also health .
Health policy experts have therefore advocated for investments in social policies both to improve population health and potentially reduce health system costs .
Since the 1960s , a large number of social policies have been experimentally evaluated in the United States .
Some of these experiments include health outcomes , providing a unique opportunity to inform evidence -based policymaking .
CONTEXT Insurers and health care providers are investing heavily in nonmedical social interventions in an effort to improve health and potentially reduce health care costs .
The Effect of Medicaid on Management of Depression: Evidence From the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment
Policy Points : We take advantage of Oregon 's Medicaid lottery to gauge the causal effects of Medicaid coverage on mental health care , how effectively it addresses unmet needs , and how those effects differ for those with and without a history of depression . Medicaid coverage reduced the prevalence of undiagnosed depression by almost 50 % and untreated depression by more than 60 % . It increased use of medications and reduced the share of respondents reporting unmet mental health care needs by almost 40 % . There are likely to be substantial mental health consequences of policy decisions about Medicaid coverage for vulnerable population s. CONTEXT Exp and ing Medicaid to previously uninsured adults has been shown to increase detection and reduce the prevalence of depression , but the ways that Medicaid affects mental health care , how effectively it addresses unmet needs , and how those effects differ for those with and without a history of depression remain unclear . METHODS We take advantage of  Oregon 's Medicaid lottery  to gauge the causal effects of Medicaid coverage using a r and omized-controlled design , drawing on both primary and administrative data sources . FINDINGS Medicaid coverage reduced the prevalence of undiagnosed depression by almost 50 % and untreated depression by more than 60 % . It increased use of medications frequently prescribed to treat depression and related mental health conditions and reduced the share of respondents reporting unmet mental health care needs by almost 40 % . The share of respondents screening positive for depression dropped by 9.2 percentage points overall , and by 13.1 for those with preexisting depression diagnoses , with greatest relief in symptoms seen primarily in feeling down or hopeless , feeling tired , and trouble sleeping-consistent with the increase observed not just in medications targeting depression but also in those targeting sleep . CONCLUSIONS Medicaid coverage had significant effects on the diagnosis , treatment , and outcomes of a population with substantial unmet mental health needs . Coverage increased access to care , reduced the prevalence of untreated and undiagnosed depression , and substantially improved the symptoms of depression . There are likely to be substantial mental health consequences of policy decisions about Medicaid coverage for vulnerable population
Our comprehensive review and meta- analysis of these experiments find suggestive evidence of health benefits associated with investments in early life , income support , and health insurance interventions .
Housing and neighborhood trials had no effect on the outcomes included in the meta-analyses .
A positive effect of the trial on its primary socioeconomic outcome was associated with higher odds of reporting health improvements .
Early life , income , and health insurance interventions have the potential to improve health .
Policy Points Social policies might not only improve economic well-being , but also health .
Health policy experts have therefore advocated for investments in social policies both to improve population health and potentially reduce health system costs .
Since the 1960s , a large number of social policies have been experimentally evaluated in the United States .
Some of these experiments include health outcomes , providing a unique opportunity to inform evidence -based policymaking .
CONTEXT Insurers and health care providers are investing heavily in nonmedical social interventions in an effort to improve health and potentially reduce health care costs .