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The social dilemma of microinsurance: Free-riding in a framed field experiment

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  • Janssens, Wendy
  • Kramer, Berber

Abstract

Health shocks are among the most important unprotected risks for microfinance clients, but take-up of micro health insurance remains low. A framed field experiment with credit groups in Tanzania, eliciting demand for group versus individual insurance, attributes this to a social dilemma. In a context of joint liability, insurance is a public good because clients can rely on contributions from group members to cope with health shocks. We hypothesize that clients have a private incentive to free-ride and forgo individual insurance even when full enrollment optimizes group welfare. The binding nature of group insurance eliminates such free-riding. Our experiment yields substantial support for this hypothesis. Whereas the demand for group insurance is high, a substantial share of clients forgoes individual insurance and relies on peers to repay their loan when falling ill. Group insurance can potentially increase low take-up rates.

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  • Janssens, Wendy & Kramer, Berber, 2016. "The social dilemma of microinsurance: Free-riding in a framed field experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 131(PB), pages 47-61.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:131:y:2016:i:pb:p:47-61
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2016.03.003
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    2. Baland, Jean-Marie & Gangadharan, Lata & Maitra, Pushkar & Somanathan, Rohini, 2017. "Repayment and exclusion in a microfinance experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 176-190.
    3. Heath Henderson & Arnob Alam, 2022. "The structure of risk-sharing networks," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 853-886, February.
    4. Ketki Sheth, 2021. "Delivering health insurance through informal financial groups: Evidence on moral hazard and adverse selection," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(9), pages 2185-2199, September.
    5. Lenel, Friederike & Steiner, Susan, 2020. "Formal insurance and solidarity. Experimental evidence from Cambodia," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 212-234.
    6. Strobl, Renate, 2022. "Background risk, insurance and investment behaviour: Experimental evidence from Kenya," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 34-68.
    7. Baulia, Susmita, 2019. "Take-up of joint and individual liability loans: An analysis with laboratory experiment," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    8. Platteau, Jean-Philippe & De Bock, Ombeline & Gelade, Wouter, 2017. "The Demand for Microinsurance: A Literature Review," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 139-156.
    9. Geng, Xin & Ide, Vera & Janssens, Wendy & Kramer, Berber & van der List, Marijn, 2017. "Health insurance, a friend in need? Evidence from financial and health diaries in Kenya," IFPRI discussion papers 1664, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    10. Clara Delavallade, 2017. "Quality Health Care and Willingness to Pay for Health Insurance Retention: A Randomized Experiment in Kolkata Slums," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(5), pages 619-638, May.
    11. Vesely, Stepan & Wengström, Erik, 2017. "Risk and Cooperation: Experimental Evidence from Stochastic Public Good Games," Working Papers 2017:3, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    12. Mol, Jantsje M. & Botzen, W. J. Wouter & Blasch, Julia E., 2020. "Risk reduction in compulsory disaster insurance: Experimental evidence on moral hazard and financial incentives," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    13. Susmita Baulia, 2017. "Take-up of joint and individual liability loans: an analysis with laboratory experiments," Discussion Papers 117, Aboa Centre for Economics.
    14. Kathryn Vasilaky & Sofía Martínez Sáenz & Radost Stanimirova & Daniel Osgood, 2020. "Perceptions of Farm Size Heterogeneity and Demand for Group Index Insurance," Games, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, March.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health insurance; Microfinance; Risk-sharing; Public goods experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages

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