Examining the Link Between Noncontributory Health Insurance and Crime

New literature has emerged examining the relationship between government-funded healthcare or health insurance for low-income people and crime rates. Studies for developing countries have, however, not yet been conducted in this area. To fill this gap, we studied Türkiye's noncontributory health insurance scheme (Green Card) that provides a full range of health cover to people whose per capita household income is less than one-third of the minimum wage and contemporaneous crime rates.

To examine the relationship between government-funded health insurance for low-income people and crime rates in Türkiye.

We used monthly criminal records data, according to date, for the crime committed during the 12 years 2010-2021, inclusive, from the Ministry of Justice of Türkiye and Green Card health insurance holder data from the Social Security Institution of Türkiye for the same period. We merged the two databases and used a two-way fixed-effect ordinary least squares analysis to test for any relationship between health insurance and crime.

Our results indicate that a 10% increase in the Green Card health insurance rate is associated with significantly lower rates of assault, theft, damage to property and within-household ill-treatment crimes (1.4%, 0.8%, 1.5% and 4%, respectively).

Our results indicate that government funding for healthcare for low-income people is associated with lower rates of various types of crime. Although this is consistent with findings in other countries with similar healthcare arrangements, it is the first time such a study has been conducted in a low- to middle-income country. Further study is needed to explore where the greatest health gains were made among those with this type of insurance and how any such improvements relate to lower crime rates.