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The value of coverage in the medicare advantage insurance market

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  • Dunn, Abe

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of coverage on demand for health insurance in the Medicare Advantage (MA) insurance market. Estimating the effects of coverage on demand poses a challenge for researchers who must consider both the hundreds of benefits that affect out-of-pocket costs (OOPC) to consumers, but also the endogeneity of coverage. These problems are addressed in a discrete choice demand model by employing a unique measure of OOPC that considers a consumer's expected payments for a fixed bundle of health services and applying instrumental variable techniques to address potential endogeneity bias. The results of the demand model show that OOPC have a significant effect on consumer surplus and that not instrumenting for OOPC results in a significant underestimate of the value of coverage.

Suggested Citation

  • Dunn, Abe, 2010. "The value of coverage in the medicare advantage insurance market," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 839-855, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:29:y:2010:i:6:p:839-855
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    1. Ari D. Gerstle & Helen C. Knudsen & June K. Lee & W. Robert Majure & Dean V. Williamson, 2017. "Economics at the Antitrust Division 2016–2017: Healthcare, Nuclear Waste, and Agriculture," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 51(4), pages 515-528, December.
    2. Marika Cabral & Michael Geruso & Neale Mahoney, 2018. "Do Larger Health Insurance Subsidies Benefit Patients or Producers? Evidence from Medicare Advantage," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(8), pages 2048-2087, August.
    3. Christopher Afendulis & Anna Sinaiko & Richard Frank, 2014. "Dominated Choices and Medicare Advantage Enrollment," NBER Working Papers 20181, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Abe Dunn, 2009. "Does Competition Among Medicare Advantage Plans Matter?: An Empirical Analysis of the Effects of Local Competition in a Regulated Environment," EAG Discussions Papers 200905, Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.
    5. Hall Anne E, 2011. "Measuring the Return on Government Spending on the Medicare Managed Care Program," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 11(2), pages 1-43, January.
    6. Karen Stockley & Thomas McGuire & Christopher Afendulis & Michael E. Chernew, 2014. "Premium Transparency in the Medicare Advantage Market: Implications for Premiums, Benefits, and Efficiency," NBER Working Papers 20208, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Pelech, Daria, 2018. "Paying more for less? Insurer competition and health plan generosity in the Medicare Advantage program," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 77-92.
    8. Atherly Adam & van den Broek-Altenburg Eline & Feldman Roger D. & Dowd Bryan, 2020. "Switching Costs in Medicare Advantage," Forum for Health Economics & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 23(1), pages 1-14, June.
    9. Afendulis, Christopher C. & Sinaiko, Anna D. & Frank, Richard G., 2015. "Dominated choices and Medicare Advantage enrollment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 72-83.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Medicare advantage Health insurance Demand Consumer surplus;

    JEL classification:

    • E6 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook

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