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Evaluating the Role of Insurance in Managing Risk of Future Pandemics

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  • Howard Kunreuther
  • Jason Schupp

Abstract

COVID-19 has demonstrated the challenges that policymakers, insurers, businesses, and employees face when disaster assistance programs are developed after the pandemic has already started. There is now an opportunity to design and implement effective and efficient solutions to manage the financial risks of a future pandemic. This paper suggests a practical framework, informed by the recent experience with COVID-19, for defining a meaningful role for insurance in managing business interruption (BI) and other risks from future pandemics. Policymakers, regulators, businesses, and other stakeholders interacting with representatives from the insurance industry can assist in defining its role in providing protection against the financial consequences of future pandemics. This framework, while designed for dealing with future pandemics, may be applied to other catastrophic and systemic risks.

Suggested Citation

  • Howard Kunreuther & Jason Schupp, 2021. "Evaluating the Role of Insurance in Managing Risk of Future Pandemics," NBER Working Papers 28968, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28968
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kunreuther, Howard & Hogarth, Robin & Meszaros, Jacqueline, 1993. "Insurer Ambiguity and Maarket Failure," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 71-87, August.
    2. Kunreuther,Howard C. & Pauly,Mark V. & McMorrow,Stacey, 2013. "Insurance and Behavioral Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521608268.
    3. Kunreuther,Howard C. & Pauly,Mark V. & McMorrow,Stacey, 2013. "Insurance and Behavioral Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521845724.
    4. Carolyn Kousky & Howard Kunreuther, 2018. "Risk Management Roles of the Public and Private Sector," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 21(1), pages 181-204, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lorilee A. Medders & Steven L. Schwarcz, 2022. "Securitizing pandemic‐risk insurance," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 25(4), pages 551-583, December.
    2. Menna Hassan & Nourhan Sakr & Arthur Charpentier, 2022. "Government Intervention in Catastrophe Insurance Markets: A Reinforcement Learning Approach," Papers 2207.01010, arXiv.org.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • H84 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Disaster Aid

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