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In Absolute or Relative Terms?: How Framing Prices Affects the Consumer Price Sensitivity of Health Plan Choice

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  • Hendrik Schmitz
  • Nicolas R. Ziebarth

Abstract

This paper provides field evidence on (a) how price framing affects consumers' decision to switch health insurance plans and (b) how the price elasticity of demand for health insurance can be influenced by policymakers through simple regulatory efforts. In 2009, in order to foster competition among health insurance companies, German federal regulation required health insurance companies to express price differences between health plans in absolute Euro values rather than percentage point payroll tax differences. Using individuallevel panel data, as well as aggregated health plan-level panel data, we find that the reform led to a sixfold increase in an individual's switching probability and a threefold demand elasticity increase.

Suggested Citation

  • Hendrik Schmitz & Nicolas R. Ziebarth, 2011. "In Absolute or Relative Terms?: How Framing Prices Affects the Consumer Price Sensitivity of Health Plan Choice," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 423, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp423
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    Cited by:

    1. Fossen, Frank M. & König, Johannes, 2015. "Public health insurance and entry into self-employment," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 112934, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    2. Wuppermann, Amelie C. & Bauhoff, Sebastian & Grabka, Markus M., 2014. "The Price Sensitivity of Health Plan Choice: Evidence from Retirees in the German Social Health Insurance," Discussion Papers in Economics 21080, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    3. Jonas Pendzialek & Dusan Simic & Stephanie Stock, 2016. "Differences in price elasticities of demand for health insurance: a systematic review," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 17(1), pages 5-21, January.
    4. Stefan Pichler, 2015. "Sickness Absence, Moral Hazard, and the Business Cycle," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(6), pages 692-710, June.
    5. Jonas B. Pendzialek & Dusan Simic & Stephanie Stock, 2017. "Measuring customer preferences in the German statutory health insurance," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 18(7), pages 831-845, September.
    6. Glenzer, Franca & Gründl, Helmut & Wilde, Christian, 2014. ""And lead us not into temptation": Presentation formats and the choice of risky alternatives," ICIR Working Paper Series 16/14, Goethe University Frankfurt, International Center for Insurance Regulation (ICIR).
    7. Wuppermann, Amelie & Bauhoff, Sebastian & Grabka, Markus, 2014. "The Price Sensitivity of Health Plan Choice among Retirees: Evidence from the German Social Health Insurance," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100352, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health insurance; health plan switching; price competition; price elasticity; SOEP;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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