(Vox) – The cash’s impact on health was a little more straightforward: it didn’t seem to do much. Despite detailed data, including blood samples from some participants and nutritional intake, “We find essentially no evidence of improvements in physical health due to the transfers,” the paper states, “and can rule out even small improvements.”

There were short-lived improvements in mental health, mostly through reductions in stress. But they faded by the end of the first year. Recipients also showed a major increase in food security during year one, which also faded by the second year. If there was any silver lining in the paper on health, it was that recipients went to hospitals, doctors, and dentists more often, and spent about $20 more per month on medical care as a result of the transfer, which the authors note could translate into indirect benefits in the long term. (Read More)