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The distortionary effect of health insurance on health demand

Author

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  • Nathalie Fombaron

    (EconomiX - EconomiX - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Carine Milcent

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris-Jourdan Sciences Economiques - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

This paper presents a general framework for modeling the impact of insurance on healthcare demand extending some of the results of the two-risk model of Rothschild and Stiglitz (1976), but including the latter as a special case. Rothschild and Stiglitz's approach assumes equivalence between the price of treatment and the discomfort caused by the disease. Relaxing this assumption turns out to be key in understanding participation in the insurance and healthcare markets. The demands for insurance and healthcare are modeled simultaneously, under symmetric and asymmetric information. Four main results arise from the relaxation of this assumption. First, only the presence of an insurance market can produce healthcare consumption at higher prices than the discomfort. Second, adverse selection may lead healthcare to be sold at a price lower than that under perfect information. Third, the potential non-participation of one type risk arises despite competition, depending on the degree of information. Last, in a public voluntary regime, one type risk may prefer to be uninsured and still consume healthcare.

Suggested Citation

  • Nathalie Fombaron & Carine Milcent, 2007. "The distortionary effect of health insurance on health demand," PSE Working Papers halshs-00587713, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:psewpa:halshs-00587713
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00587713v1
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    Cited by:

    1. Bijlsma, M. & Boone, J. & Zwart, Gijsbert, 2009. "Selective Contracting and Foreclosure in Health Care Markets," Other publications TiSEM fee69eb7-1661-4ec2-8aae-f, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    2. Georges Dionne & Nathalie Fombaron & Neil Doherty, 2012. "Adverse selection in insurance contracting," Working Papers 12-8, HEC Montreal, Canada Research Chair in Risk Management.

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