| Abstract: | Self‐assessed health is one of the most commonly used health measures by economists. However, changes in self‐assessed health are not always accompanied by changes in physical health as measured by clinical outcomes. This study provides suggestive evidence that this discrepancy arises because self‐assessed health is significantly influenced by psychological factors. Specifically, when the perceived risk of Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal increased, as documented by Google Trends data, self‐assessed health declined among low‐income childless adults living in states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA. |
