We develop a model in which firms hire heterogeneous workers but must offer all workers insurance benefits under similar terms. In equilibrium, some firms offer free health insurance, some require an employee premium payment and some do not offer insurance. Making the employee contribution pre-tax lowers the cost to workers of a given employee premium and encourages more firms to charge. This increases the offer rate, lowers the take-up rate, increases (decreases) coverage among high (low) demand groups, with an indeterminate overall effect. We test the model using the expansion of section 125 plans between 1987 and 1996. The results are generally supportive.
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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number
13066.
Length: Date of creation: Apr 2007 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:13066
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Find related papers by JEL classification: H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets J32 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Private Pensions
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