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Cartels, Competition and Regulation in the Property-Liability Insurance Industry

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Author Info
Paul L. Joskow

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Abstract

This paper provides a detailed study of the structure, behavior, and performance of the property and liability insurance industry in the United States. This property insurance industry is shown to possess all of the structural characteristics normally associated with competitive markets. Despite a competitive market structure, however, the property-liability insurance industry has traditionally set prices through cartel-like rating bureaus and has been subjected to pervasive state rate regulation. The study concludes that the combination of state regulation, cartel pricing, and other legal peculiarities has resulted in the use of an inefficient sales technique, supply shortages, and over-capitalization. Free entry, however, tends to drive profits toward the cost of capital. Based on recent experience in states where the competitive market is used to determine insurance rates, the study suggests a movement away from rate regulation and cartel pricing to open competition, as a means of eliminating prevailing performance problems.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by The RAND Corporation in its journal Bell Journal of Economics.

Volume (Year): 4 (1973)
Issue (Month): 2 (Autumn)
Pages: 375-427
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Handle: RePEc:rje:bellje:v:4:y:1973:i:autumn:p:375-427

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  1. Lucinda Trigo Gamarra, 2007. "Does the Product Quality Hypothesis Hold True? - Service Quality Differences between Independent and Exclusive Insurance Agents," Thuenen-Series of Applied Economic Theory 76, University of Rostock, Institute of Economics, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  2. Eckardt, Martina & Räthke-Döppner, Solvig, 2008. "The Quality of Insurance Intermediary Services – Empirical Evidence for Germany," MPRA Paper 10703, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  3. Vittas, Dimitri & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Musalem, Alberto, 1993. "North American free trade agreement : issues on trade in financial services for Mexico," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1153, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
  4. Robert A. Taggart, Jr., 1985. "Effects of Regulation on Utility Financing: Theory and Evidence," NBER Working Papers 0866, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Bin Ke & Kathy Petroni & Douglas A. Shackelford, 1999. "The Impact of State Taxes on Self-Insurance," NBER Working Papers 7453, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Michael R. Powers & Martin Shubik & Shuntian Yao, 1994. "Insurance Market Games: Scale Effects and Public Policy," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1076, Cowles Foundation, Yale University. [Downloadable!]
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  7. Strauss, Jason, 2007. "Price Regulation, Market Exit, and Financial Leverage of Canadian Property-Liability Insurers," MPRA Paper 11212, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 28 Oct 2008. [Downloadable!]
  8. Jeffrey I. Bernstein, 1992. "Information Spillovers, Margins, Scale and Scope: With an Application to Canadian Life Insurance," NBER Working Papers 3979, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Mark Israel, 2005. "Services as Experience Goods: An Empirical Examination of Consumer Learning in Automobile Insurance," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(5), pages 1444-1463, December. [Downloadable!]
  10. Jedlicka, Lorenz & Jumah, Adusei, 2006. "The Austrian Insurance Industry: A Structure, Conduct and Performance Analysis," Economics Series 189, Institute for Advanced Studies. [Downloadable!]
  11. M.-C. Fagart & N. Fombaron & M. Jeleva, 2001. "Risk Mutualization and Competition in Insurance Market," THEMA Working Papers 2001-25, THEMA (THéorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), Université de Cergy-Pontoise. [Downloadable!]
  12. Allen N. Berger & J. David Cummins & Mary A. Weiss, 1995. "The Coexistence of Multiple Distributions Systems for Financial Services: The Case of Property-Liability Insurance," Center for Financial Institutions Working Papers 95-13, Wharton School Center for Financial Institutions, University of Pennsylvania. [Downloadable!]
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  13. Robert W. Klein & Paul R. Kleindorfer, 1999. "The Supply of Catastrophe Insurance Under Regulatory Constraints," Center for Financial Institutions Working Papers 99-25, Wharton School Center for Financial Institutions, University of Pennsylvania. [Downloadable!]
  14. Lucinda Trigo Gamarra, 2007. "Single- versus Multi-Channel Distribution Strategies in the German Life Insurance Market: A Cost and Profit Efficiency Analysis," Thuenen-Series of Applied Economic Theory 81, University of Rostock, Institute of Economics, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  15. Susan J. Suponcic & Sharon Tennyson, 1995. "Rate Regulation and the Industrial Organization of Automobile Insurance," NBER Working Papers 5275, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. J. David Cummins & Giuseppe Turchetti, 1996. "Productivity and Technical Efficiency in the Italian Insurance Industry," Center for Financial Institutions Working Papers 96-10, Wharton School Center for Financial Institutions, University of Pennsylvania. [Downloadable!]
  17. Strauss, Jason, 2007. "Equilibrium in the Insurance Industry: Price and Probability of Insolvency," MPRA Paper 11015, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  18. Patricia Born & M. Martin Boyer, 2008. "Claims-Made and Reported Policies and Insurer Profitability in Medical Malpractice," CIRANO Working Papers 2008s-13, CIRANO. [Downloadable!]
  19. Andrew F. Daughety, 1981. "Regulation of Groups of Firms," Discussion Papers 478S, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science. [Downloadable!]
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