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Taxpayer Willingness To Pay For Health Insurance Reform: A Contingent Valuation Analysis

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  • KURT LAVETTI
  • KOSALI SIMON
  • WILLIAM D. WHITE

Abstract

type="main" xml:id="ecin12083-abs-0001"> A key criterion for evaluating policies to expand health insurance coverage is weighing the costs of such policies against the willingness of the public to pay for coverage expansions. We use new panel survey data from New York State to estimate residents' willingness to pay (WTP) to expand public insurance coverage. Using a nonparametric double-bounded contingent valuation (CV) approach, we specifically ask residents about their WTP to reduce the rate of uninsurance in the state. Our results imply an aggregate lower-bound WTP of over $2,800 per year to cover one person. We also analyze heterogeneity in WTP by sub-group and changes in individual WTP over time between 2008 and 2010. We find that a large majority of residents are willing to pay additional taxes to reduce the number of uninsured in the state, and that average WTP remained remarkably stable despite the economic downturn and the politically polarized discussions surrounding the Affordable Care Act. Decomposing the changes in individual WTP, we find that economic factors related to the recession, including changes in income and employment status, cannot explain changes in individual WTP, whereas individual changes in political opinions about health insurance reform between 2008 and 2010 are strongly correlated with changes in WTP. (JEL H20, H42, H51, H75, I13)

Suggested Citation

  • Kurt Lavetti & Kosali Simon & William D. White, 2014. "Taxpayer Willingness To Pay For Health Insurance Reform: A Contingent Valuation Analysis," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 52(3), pages 994-1013, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:52:y:2014:i:3:p:994-1013
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    2. Bosworth, Ryan & Cameron, Trudy Ann & DeShazo, J.R., 2015. "Willingness to pay for public health policies to treat illnesses," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 74-88.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H42 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Private Goods
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private

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